


Duty of Care

by SirJoker



Category: Doctor Who, Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Comedy, Drama, F/M, Family, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-10
Updated: 2019-10-11
Packaged: 2020-04-24 01:55:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 20
Words: 44,103
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19163446
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SirJoker/pseuds/SirJoker
Summary: Two broken hearts. A pub in Glasgow. Eight years later.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! Welcome to this new fic I am excited to share. I hope you'll have a wonderful time reading this story so enjoy!
> 
> As usual, updates will be on Saturdays, unless specified otherwise.
> 
>   
>    
> 

Glasgow. How long had she been here again? Two, three days, perhaps? That long, she estimated. How or why was she here? Something about her best friend telling her to travel all the way to Scotland and spend some girl time. Something like that. It was all a bit fuzzy since all she had done since arriving at her best friend's home is mope around.

Clara Oswald stared at the garden from her bedroom window. It was slowly getting dark and today was her final night in Glasgow. Come tomorrow, she would take a train back to London for an interview at a school. How on earth she was going to cope with leading a normal life again is beyond her. She had left her teaching position four months ago to take some time off and reassess her life. Time just seemed to fly by just like that.

The door creaked open slowly and Amy Pond stuck her head inside. "Alright, I'm doing something about you," she stated determinedly, striding to her best friend.

"What?" Clara asked in confusion.

"Clara," Amy said gently, placing both hands on her shoulders. "You can't keep… acting like this forever… it's been more than a year now."

She merely looked away.

"Danny wouldn't want you to be like this."

Amy is right. Her dead fiancée wouldn't want her to mourn him forever, but she could never bring herself to truly admit it. Everything still felt strange. She had been on a couple of dates since his death, but it felt strange. It didn't feel right. She didn't feel comfortable.

"So I am taking you out tonight before you leave."

"You don't have to, I mean, we could just put our pj's on, watch a movie and eat ice-cream."

Amy shot her a look which told her she wasn't having any of it.

Clara sighed in defeat. "Fine."

Finally, her best friend smiled. "Brilliant- I have a feeling we are going to have a fun night out!" she exclaimed, leaving to get dressed.

"Somehow, I doubt that," Clara muttered to herself.

\-- 

"Why are you doing this?" John Smith whined to his childhood friend of 42 years. "I thought you said we were just going to have a nice quiet dinner and catch up."

"I lied," Missy Delgado confessed casually, dragging the Scotsman by his arm to a pub nearby. "Now stop whining like a child before I drag you inside by the ear."

"I have no intention of-"

Missy stopped dead in her tracks and whirled around to face him. "When was the last time you went on a date or met a woman other than me and your colleagues?" she inquired.

He growled. "I am more than capable of being alone."

"You're crap when you're lonely, you bloody bastard," she grumbled as she continued to drag her best friend into the pub.

It was a bit more crowded than Missy had expected, not that she minded. It meant that her idiot bestie had a higher chance of meeting someone he likes.

"This is stupid," John growled, crossing his arms.

"You sulking for 12 years since your ex-wife left you is stupid."

He opened his mouth to argue, but Missy beat him to it.

"For the record, I hated her and was tempted to push her down a flight of stairs," she admitted. "Now I despise her and want to send her to a gulag."

"Now, why don't you stop acting like an idiot and start looking for potential happiness," she continued before pushing him into the crowd and walking away immediately.

"Sorry," he apologised when he bumped into a woman. She would have spilt her drink completely had he not reached for a chair for support.

John felt time slowing down when he made eye contact with the tiny woman. There was just something about her that piqued his curiosity. Maybe it was the eyes.

"It's alright," she replied, flashing him a kind smile.

John wanted to say something, anything, but his brain just didn't seem to function properly at the moment, so he thought it was best to move.

Suddenly, a red-haired woman joined in. "She does this sort of thing to get people's attention and buy her a drink."

"Amy!"

"You're welcome," she said, grinning before leaving the two alone.

Clara laughed nervously. "I'm so sorry," she explained. "My best friend just has a habit of doing that."

"I know exactly how you feel," he muttered, looking around the room for Missy.

"Did your best friend force you here too?"

"Yes."

They then smiled at each other. John had thought he might leave in a few minutes just a moment ago, but now, the idea of staying in the pub didn't seem to bother him all that much.

He swallowed the lump in his throat and worked up the courage to offer her another drink. "Would you like another one of those?" he asked, pointing at her glass. "Half of it is already on the floor."

John saw the hesitation in her eyes for a brief second and thought he was about to be rejected, but to his surprise, she smiled and nodded over to the empty stools by the bar.

They didn't say much at first when they got their drinks until Clara decided to break the silence. "Do you go here often?" she inquired, taking a sip of her drink.

He shook his head. "No… I've only been here three times, I believe, and it was all thanks to Missy."

"Missy?"

"My best friend," he explained, twirling the glass of scotch in his hands. "If I wanted to have a good time, I could easily do that at home or go out and eat the most delicious chips in the universe or anything that doesn't involve being dragged to a pub."

She chuckled in response.

"What brings you here?" he asked carefully. "It's quite obvious you're not local."

Clara suddenly fell silent, eyes now filled with the same look John had seen earlier and he immediately panicked. "I'm sorry if I asked something personal – I'm bad at socialising and meeting new peo-"

"I just wanted to be away from all of it for a while," she murmured staring at the wall behind him.

John wasn't sure what to say so he remained silent, finishing his scotch and ordering another one.

"You mentioned something eating chips," Clara said, immediately catching his attention, setting aside her empty glass. She had only known the stranger for half an hour and yet, it surprised her how well they were getting on. Even her dates didn't do this well.

It took him a while to process her words.

"Chips?" he repeated, furrowing his thick eyebrows.

"Eating the most delicious chips in the universe sounds like fun over being stuck in this crowded bar, don't you think?" she asked. It was getting a bit too noisy and cramped for her liking as patrons walked pass them.

John blinked several times. "What about your friend?"

Clara glanced at a table in one corner of the pub and smiled when she saw Amy giggling and smiling. "She'll be fine."

It may be a bit too soon, but John Smith was sure he had found his soul mate. He had come here thinking it was a waste of his time, but Missy had proved him wrong. "Um… ok."

She got to her feet and he mimicked her. "Where is this chip shop?"

"Not far from here – just a five-minute walk," he replied, placing several bank notes on the counter.

"Sounds like you're going to take me somewhere quiet and murder me," she joked.

John's eyes widened. "I've never even punched another person before."

"I was bantering."

He pouted. "I am against bantering," he stated as they made their way to the exit.

Clara flashed him a grin. "You sound like someone who secretly loves bantering."

"I don't," he growled, earning a giggle. "The chip shop is just up ahead," he stated, nodding at a small shop tucked in one corner of the street.

"I can smell the chips from here," she said, her mouth watering.

"Just wait until you taste them."

Surely enough, they reached their destination. The shop was empty, aside from a customer standing in front of the till as she waited for her order.

"What sort of dipping would you recommend?" Clara inquired, looking at the menu of various other fast foods.

"I'd usually eat the chips by themselves, but ketchup is good."

John placed an order and just as he took out his wallet, Clara interrupted him. "I don't mind paying."

"But-"

"You paid for the drinks."

"But-"

"I insist," she stated sternly, summoning her inner teacher.

"Fine," he grumbled in defeat.

They chose to sit by the window as soon as they had gotten the box of chips. At least John would have somewhere to stare instead of giving the impression of a creep.

As soon as her eyes lit up when she took a bite of the chip, he beamed.

"You weren't joking."

"No," John replied, grabbing a handful from the box.

"Hey!"

He couldn't help but laugh. "Well, I did offer to pay."

"Don't talk with your mouth full."

He arched a brow. "I'm not a child."

"Yes, but I used to be a schoolteacher, so I win."

"Whatever you say, boss," he muttered, earning a chuckle.

Clara felt her cheeks reddening and she leaned closer to whisper to him. "Would you look at that, someone's actually bantering!"

"This does not count," he said quietly, their faces inches apart.

She wasn't quite sure what possessed her. Maybe she had too many drinks, maybe she felt alive for the first time since Danny died, or maybe the Scotsman in front of her knew just what to say. It could have been a combination of all three. Clara pressed her lips against John, closing her eyes as she did so.

Her action took him by surprise as his eyes widened and he dropped the handful of fries in his hand. At first, he was hesitant, unsure of what to do. He hadn't kissed a woman in a long time and could only hope the woman kissing him wouldn't notice how much of a terrible kisser he is.

Their snogging session didn't go unnoticed as the employee behind the counter, a teenager no older than fifteen, pursed her lips. "Da!" she called. "There's another drunk couple snogging inside the shop again!"

John and Clara immediately pulled away, flustered and surprised.

She bit her bottom lip. "Maybe we should leave."

"Yes, good idea," he answered quietly as they rose to their feet. "Would you like to… um… my flat… it's… coffee... or tea..."

Clara's amused smile was all he needed as confirmation.

The moment John unlocked the door, Clara pushed him against it and snogged his brains out. There wasn't much on his thoughts aside from attempting to get her to bed. How could anyone blame him? Here he is, a man in his late forties and a woman in her twenties who wants him.

He felt her fiddle with his belt, and he moaned in approval. He couldn't care less if he was acting like a teenage boy as he discarded her dress. It pooled on the wooden floor and John led her to the bedroom, mouths unseparated and he narrowly missed hitting the whiteboard in the tiny living room.

Clara felt her legs hitting the mattress and she tumbled down, bringing the Scotsman with her. She was tired of moping around, of feeling miserable and pitiful. Tonight, she was going to have a memorable night. The universe owed her that much for all the pain and sufferings.

They giggled as John landed on top of her, his arms supporting him. He captured her lips as she wrapped her arms around his neck and brought him closer.

\-- 

Clara Oswald stirred in her sleep, eyes squinted shut before she raised her hand and weakly massaged her forehead. She opened her eyes, adjusting to the darkness before lifting her head slightly, wondering where she was. The room seemed unfamiliar until her memories came back a second later. She had gone out with Amy to the pub the previous night and had met a Scotsman there. A Scotsman she ate chips and slept with.

She glanced at the sleeping man next to her, memories of the previous night flooding her mind. It makes sense why she felt so sated and a bit sore.

It was strange how she so easily got along with him. He wasn't like other men she had met. No, he had a certain innocence to him that just made him seem attractive.

Clara then decided to check the time. She wouldn't want to miss her train and to her shock, there were twelve missed calls from Amy, one being just five minutes ago and to her horror, it was a little over an hour before her train journey. Naturally, she cussed.

John roused from his sleep, blinking several times and staring at the woman who jumped out of bed and began searching for her clothes. "What…"

"I'm going to be late for my train," Clara said in a panicked tone.

He immediately sat up. "I can take you there if you'd like," he offered.

"No, no," she muttered. "I need to get my belongings at Amy's and then there's-"

"I have a car-"

He was interrupted by the loud ringing coming from Clara's phone. "Yeah, sorry," Clara said in a rush as she put on her blouse. "I overslept- no I'm not being held hostage, for God's sake Amy."

John threw away the covers and got dressed as quickly as possible.

"You really don't have to go through the trouble," Clara insisted after hanging up. "I'll find my way around and… thank you for last night," she said sincerely. "It's been a while since I've felt like myself."

He paused brows furrowed. "I never got your name."

"Clara."

"John."

"Thank you, John," she repeated, flashing him a smile before rushing off.

He would have tried chasing after if he was able to find his missing trousers. He would have also asked for her number if he had felt a bit brave. "Wait!" he called out, but she had run out the door.

John Smith could only sigh in disappointment before returning to the bedroom. A shiny object on the bedside table caught his attention. He grabbed the jewellery to examine it.

It was a necklace. A small raven necklace.

He silently hoped that he would get another chance to meet Clara again. Perhaps this was a sign.


	2. Chapter 2

**8 Years Later**

John Smith's day had started out fairly simple, uncomplicated and quiet. He gave a lecture for an hour, then spent an hour in his office before spending another two hours giving another lecture. Fairly simple, uncomplicated and quiet. And then came the phone call from Missy Delgado.

He knew something was amiss when she started the call by greeting him nicely. That was usually a red flag and it certainly was when she began mentioning his goddaughter in their conversation.

"Emily will be moving to London, in case you're wondering," Missy stated casually.

"Yes, she told me she's going to King's College – I'm very happy for her."

"To study law," she added begrudgingly.

John pinched the bridge of his nose. "She's more than capable of making her own decision and you should respect that – not everyone wants to be a scientist."

"Speaking of scientists," Missy mentioned. "How does spending a year as a visiting professor at my department sound to you?"

So, this is what the call is all about. "Why the offer?"

She decided to get straight to the point and come clean.

"I just need you to come down here for a year," Missy Delgado sighed through the phone. "A professor's retiring, one is pushing daisies, a senior lecturer will be on maternity leave and another is close to pushing daisies."

John Smith pondered the offer his best friend of 50 years is selling to him. He had lived in Glasgow all his life and now she wanted him to move to Egham for a year. He knew that this was coming since she had suggested the idea to him several months back.

"I don't say this often, so I'll say this once," she continued. "Just do it for me, please, I'm asking for your help as a friend – we're really short on staff."

He massaged his temples, leaning back against the chair. There was nothing but silence for several seconds. "Fine, but as soon as the contract's over, I'm returning to Glasgow."

"You can move to a different planet for all I care," she muttered. "I need you to come down here before the new academic year starts."

That's only a month from now. He would have to start packing, look for accommodation and do a bunch of other menial things.

"You can stay with me and Emily while looking for a flat."

John ran a hand through his silver curls. "The things I do for you."

"And who knows, maybe you'll find the Impossible Girl again."

His lips formed a sad smile. Eight years. It has been eight years since their last encounter and then there had been nothing. He tried looking for Clara again. He went to the same pub several times, tried looking for her red-haired friend and even asked around, but his efforts were not fruitful.

"Stop using that to bait me."

Missy grinned. "It's working, though, isn't it?" she asked. "You'll have more time to travel to London and all over England if you want to."

"It's a big world, Missy," John sighed. "Clara could be living in a different continent for all I know."

"Maybe, maybe not."

"If this about the offer then yes, I accept it," he stated grumpily. "There's no need for you to convince me any longer."

"Bloody finally," Missy muttered, dropping the sweet tone. "Get here as soon as possible."

Two weeks later, he was well on his way to his new workplace. Well, to Missy's home first.

John's car was filled to the brim with his belongings. He would be living in Surrey for a year, so it was justifiable to bring the essentials, including his electric guitar and the amplifier.

The nine-hour drive wasn't as horrendous as he had imagined, but by the time he had reached his destination, he wanted nothing more than to fall asleep in the car. "Why did I do this?" he groaned, head leaning against the steering wheel.

A moment later, he stepped out of the vehicle. Unloading and unpacking can wait. He could even do it tomorrow.

John made his way to the front door and halfway through, it swung open and a young woman ran towards him before giving him a hug. "You're finally here!" she exclaimed, making her uncle feel a bit uncomfortable with the physical contact. "I finally have somebody on my side."

He couldn't help but chuckle. "That's the first thing to say to your Uncle John after a nine-hour drive?"

"Sorry, it's just been unbearable with mum constantly questioning my decision," Emily explained, finally releasing him.

He flashed her a kind smile as they stepped inside. "She's just worried about you, that's all."

"Well, well, well, if I didn't know any better, I'd say you just got off a twelve-hour flight," Missy greeted, a mug in one hand.

John crossed his arms. "I'm more than happy to drive back to Glasgow right now."

"Yeah, right, you sensitive idiot," she retorted. "See, Emily, this is why your uncle is still single."

"I think it's romantic that he's still searching for Clara," her daughter defended.

"Eight years is-"

"I still have her necklace and have every intention of returning it to her if we were to meet again," he stated sternly.

Missy rolled her eyes. "This is just a modern version of Cinderella, but good luck with your mission, Professor Smith," she retorted before disappearing upstairs. "You can have the guest bedroom downstairs!"

Emily placed a comforting hand on his arm. "This is why I can't wait to move out – she's driving me crazy."

They laughed.

John collapsed on the sofa. "Let's just hope I won't stay here for long."

\-- 

"Grandad!" a boy of around seven years exclaimed. "Grandad!"

He tugged his grandfather's jacket and dragged the elderly man to the entrance of Forbidden Planet. "Come on," he giggled as his grandfather purposely resisted a bit.

"Oh no, I think I hear my wallet and bank account crying in fear!"

The boy laughed and held onto his granddad's hand once they were inside the shop. "I just want to look at some comics."

"Now remember, you're only allowed one comic book and one figurine or keychain or whatever merchandise your mother approves of."

The child glanced at his mother who was trailing behind them, flashing a grin. "Can I buy a Funko?"

She arched a brow. "What sort of Funko are we talking about here?"

"The Joker," he replied. "The one that I showed you yesterday."

"Yes, that's fine."

He then raced to one section of the shop to grab the box. A few seconds later, the boy returned, clutching it tightly to his chest.

"Comic book?" his grandfather asked.

He nodded and raced down the steps.

"Malcolm, do not run!" his mother warned and he immediately stopped. "Do you want to follow him or wait here?" she asked her father.

"I'll just wait by the counter if you don't mind," Dave stated. "Stairs are apparently my nemesis now."

Clara shook her head. "Let's just hope he won't take as long as last time."

Luckily for Dave Oswald, he didn't have to wait for more than ten minutes as he spotted a familiar figure with a mop of brown curls racing towards him. "Got what you wanted?"

"Yes," Malcolm answered, smiling as he placed the items on the counter.

"Where are we off to next?" Dave asked once they were outside.

"Foyles and then PC World!"

He grabbed his grandson's hand as they crossed the road as the family of three made their way to the tube station. "I thought he had that workbook to occupy him?"

"He finished it in less than two days," Clara replied in a hushed tone. "Said that it was too easy, which is why he didn't give it much attention."

Dave's eyes widened in surprise and awe. He ruffled Malcolm's hair. "My little genius."

The elderly man then focused his attention on Clara. "We really need to sit down and discuss this properly."

"I know, but let's just wait until school starts again and see how things go," she murmured. "Just let him enjoy the summer break."

The family had gone to London during the weekend in order to spend time together and let Malcolm have a bit of fun before the new term began. It was also a perfect excuse to get him out of the house.

Clara Oswald certainly didn't think she would be out and about with her son on a family trip eight years ago. Her past-self would be shocked to see her now, happy and content with what she had. Although sometimes, she did wish to meet John again. Despite their brief encounter, Malcolm Oswald is still their child.

\-- 

**One Month Later**

John Smith stood behind the line as he waited for the train to come to a halt. It was around eight in the morning and unsurprisingly, the train was crowded. Not too packed up to the point where there weren't any seats available, but full of commuters who were either eager to get off at the next stop or just couldn't be bothered to sit down.

Luck was once again in his favour today as he spotted two empty seats in the back row and to his surprise, a boy he kept bumping into on the train was occupying one of the seats.

He looked up and mumbled a sorry before grabbing his backpack, allowing John to sit down. This was what, the fifth time this week since he would also see the boy on his commute back home.

The lecturer decided to pass the time by going over his notes for the day. There wasn't much else he could do aside from staring out the window.

Not five minutes into his work, John caught sight of the boy glancing at his notebook. One page was filled with various equations while the other had a phase portrait drawn.

If they were going to be sitting next to each other on a daily basis, he might as well try to make a new friend. "Do you like maths?"

The boy looked up and froze, fear in his eyes. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to pry," he apologised before glancing out the window again.

"No, it's alright," John assured. "You seem to have a keen interest in this diagram here."

The child merely stared at him. He looked as if he was debating to say something.

"Do you like maths?" he repeated, flashing a kind smile. "I used to find it boring when I was a child."

"It's not boring," the boy argued.

"No, it took some time before I saw the beauty of it," John explained.

"Are you a professor?"

"Yes, but I'd rather be referred to as 'doctor' since it has a nicer ring to it."

The schoolboy's lips formed a small smile. "What sort of maths do you work on?"

That was the first time in a while since anybody had asked him and it was certainly the first time it came from a child. "My research is in Mathematical Physics, so everything from topology to numerical solution."

"Cool," he said in awe. "Do people just call you doctor then?"

"There's this running joke where I'm known as the Doctor back in Glasgow, but people call me John."

"I'm Malcolm," the boy stated.

"It seems like you were interested in reading my notes, Malcolm."

There was an announcement that the train would be approaching a stop soon and Malcolm shifted in his seat. "I am."

"Is this your stop?" John inquired.

"It is," he answered, feeling a bit disappointed that their conversation was coming to an end.

The Doctor stood up to let the boy out. "Well, maybe I can tell you about my work some other time."

"It was nice meeting you, John," Malcolm uttered.

The academic still couldn't shake off the feeling that the child wanted to say something. "Is there something on your mind, Malcolm?"

The coach came to a halt.

Malcolm hesitated for a second. "You mislabelled your diagram – the steady state is zero-one and not one-zero since it's on the x-axis and the arrows should be pointing toward one-one, not away from it since one-one is stable," he explained in a hurry before dashing out, leaving an astonished John.

He quickly glanced at his notebook, scanning his work and examining the phase portrait.

Malcolm is right.


	3. Chapter 3

Once the train was in motion again, John sat down and scanned his work one more time just to be sure he had made a mistake, and indeed, he did! It still amazed him how a seven-year-old was able to spot it. Even some of his students couldn't detect mistakes he had made during lectures and Malcolm only took one glance.

Now that he thought about it, there was something familiar about the boy. It had to be the eyes. Brown and large. And curious. Very curious. Maybe he was ahead in maths. His parents could have trained him or something, or maybe he's gifted.

It was none of John's business, but he was intrigued.

His train of thought was interrupted when the coach came to a stop and he looked up at the board. This is where he would have to get off.

The Doctor hoped he could meet Malcolm again. However, he doubted at another encounter as his final lecture of the day ends at five.

There's always tomorrow.

"This is one thing that I don't quite understand about you," Missy commented as he walked past her in the hallway of his new workplace.

"What would that be?" John inquired, producing the keys to his office.

"Taking the train when you have a car."

He glowered. "I like commuting by train – you've known me for fifty years, so how this information flew over your head is beyond me," he grumbled, attempting to unlock the door for the second time.

"Turn the key twice, you big idiot," Missy muttered in amusement.

Oh, well. At least his commute was a lot more pleasant.

\-- 

Dave Oswald sat on one of the empty benches as he waited for the train to arrive. It was fifteen to four in the evening and the next service is expected to arrive in a minute.

Malcolm's first week of school had been alright so far. He had received several complaints from his grandson regarding the level of maths being taught to him, which isn't surprising, but hopefully, something that can be sorted in the near future. For the time being, Malcolm would just have to bear with school and much to his mother's relief, he is still friends with some of his classmates from the previous year.

The train finally arrived, and Dave beamed as it slowly came to a stop, watching as the doors opened. He made eye contact with a seven-year-old just as he hopped off.

"How was school?"

"It was alright," Malcolm answered. "Miss Scott gave me a different worksheet during maths lesson so that was an improvement and I made a new friend today – John."

The elderly man chuckled as they exited the station. "Did you do anything else?"

The child was silent for a moment, thinking. "Bill, Charlie and I shared our lunch together."

"Oh, what did you have?" his grandfather inquired as they got into a vehicle parked underneath a tree.

"A muffin from Charlie and sandwich from Bill."

Dave beamed. "Delicious."

By the time they reached home, another vehicle was parked in the porch.

"Looks like your mummy's home early."

Malcolm immediately hopped out of the vehicle and ran to the front door, forgetting his rucksack in the backseat.

"Such a mummy's boy," Dave chuckled.

"Hello, sweetheart," Clara greeted as her son hugged her while she set down the glass of water she held. "How was school?"

"Boring, but not too bad," he answered, watching her in anticipation.

His mother knew what he was waiting for, so she arched a brow. She had suggested the idea of him attending university either after school or during the weekends to cope with his demands for knowledge and he immediately agreed. However, Clara hadn't had the time to contact anyone relevant just yet and it wasn't guaranteed things would go according to plan.

"I'm sorry, Malcolm," she apologised. "I haven't emailed the uni yet, but I will later tonight, I promise."

Malcolm's eyes immediately lit up. "Really?"

"Yep, we can sit down together, and you can watch me compose the email."

He grinned in response. "Ok!" the boy exclaimed before running upstairs.

"What's that all about?" Dave asked, chuckling. "You didn't happen to agree to buy him a PS4, did you?"

"Dad, he's too young for that and for your information, Malcolm is excited that I'll finally contact the uni, as strange as that sounds."

"Oh, I'm looking forward to it," he said, smiling.

Surely enough, as soon as Malcolm finished his meal later in the evening, he sprinted to the living room where the laptop was located. The boy, however, returned to the kitchen when his mother called for him. She had both hands on her hips as she nodded at his dirty plate and empty cup.

"Sorry, I was too excited," he apologised before dumping the dishes into the sink and then ran back into the living room to switch on the computer.

Five minutes later, the seven-year-old boy watched in silence as his mother wrote the email to the head of the mathematics department. Every now and then, he would glance at the kitchen where his granddad was putting away the leftovers.

"Ok, how does this sound to you?" Clara asked her son pushing the laptop forward.

Malcolm read the email carefully, unable to help himself from smiling. "It sounds good and why do you say 'best regards' at the end?"

"That's just a polite way or ending the conversation," his mother explained, patting his back. "Would you like to do the honours?"

He moved the mouse cursor and pressed send. "How long will I have to wait?"

Clara closed the laptop. "I'm not sure, Malcolm," she replied. "It depends how busy Professor Delgado is, I guess – maybe a week at most?"

"Ok," he mumbled quietly.

"Try to be a bit patient, yeah?" Dave advised, ruffling Malcolm's hair.

The boy groaned, leaning into his mother. "Can I have some ice-cream, please?"

"Of course, you can," Clara laughed, kissing his head. "Just be sure to wash the bowl and spoon and place them in the drying rack."

Malcolm Oswald had a very good reason for wanting to eat ice-cream. It usually involved him being out in the garden, observing the stars. However, in the last few weeks, he had been using this as an excuse to see his new best friend, someone that both his mother and grandfather were unaware of.

As the boy scooped ice-cream from the tub, he quickly turned around to see his mother watching television. He placed the tub back in the freezer before reaching for a chicken drumstick in the fridge.

Once he was outside, Malcolm shut the door, put his bowl of ice-cream on the wooden bench and walked to the bushes with the piece of meat.

"K9!" he whispered. "K9, here boy."

A second later, the bushes rustled and the head of a German Shepherd popped out. He stuck out his tongue at the sight of Malcolm and drooled when seeing the drumstick.

Malcolm placed it on the ground and the scrawny puppy immediately devoured it. Happy with the presence of his 'unofficial pet', as he called it, the boy sat down on the bench and ate his dessert.

He had asked his mother several weeks ago, the day he found K9 if he could have a pet and she immediately said no, much to his disappointment, but it wasn't unexpected, which is why he had been careful to merely ask her regarding the idea of having a pet. Since then, the child had been secretly feeding his new best friend who would arrive every evening via the back entrance. He just didn't have the heart to shoo the animal away.

\-- 

"I need a lift to uni."

Six words. Those six words just had to ruin his morning. "What?" John demanded.

Missy shrugged. "Need a lift to uni since my car's road tax expired yesterday, so you'll probably be my chauffer until next week."

John Smith growled as he put on his coat. There goes his plan to have a chat with Malcolm and assess his mathematical ability. "Fine."

It's not like he could say no seeing as to how she hasn't mentioned a single word about him still living in her guest room.

"Might as well use that car of yours rather than letting it rust and hurry up," she said, walking past him. "I have a packed schedule today."

Missy Delgado is indeed a very busy person. She was running a whole department and that meant her days were filled with mostly meetings and very little relaxation. It was a sacrifice one had to make when in such a position. Besides, the pay is good, so there wasn't much room to make a fuss.

Being the head of the department also meant that she receives dozens of emails every single day. Most of the time, she would scroll past her inbox, determining which messages are important and not so important.

Today's routine was no different as she perused through her inbox, scanning the subject of each message. 'Department Meeting', 'Faculty Meeting', 'Paper Deadline', 'Extended Leave' and something which she didn't expect to see, 'Lecture Enquiry'.

The professor set down her cup of tea. "I'm the wrong person to ask," she muttered, wondering why the stranger who sent her the email didn't just ask the admissions tutor.

As she was about to delete the message, she paused, curiosity getting the best of her. "You had better not waste my time, Clara Oswald."

Missy opened the email.

_  
Dear Professor Delgado,_

_I am writing you this email with enquiries regarding the modules your department offers – I recently discovered that my son, Malcolm Oswald, who is seven-years-old, is gifted in mathematics and I am asking on his behalf if the university offers weekend lectures, or perhaps tutorials that run later in the day since he finishes school at 3? He has an interest in group theory, geometry and differential equations and has constantly pointed out that your department "has all the fun modules"._

_I understand that you have a tight schedule, but I hope to hear from you soon._

_Best regards,_

_Clara Oswald_  
  
It took her less than a minute to read through and to say the least, she was intrigued and puzzled, which was why she read the message a second time. Why hadn't this Clara Oswald just contacted the relevant institution? Her department, let alone university, didn't have the expertise to handle young gifted students.

Missy leaned back against the chair and pondered her response. She wouldn't mind meeting Clara and her son if her claim about him being a genius is true. She supposed she could have someone come in on Saturdays to tutor the boy.

A mischievous smile formed on her lips as she imagined John being grumpy at the thought of being assigned to such a task. Oh, it would be amusing, and it would at least make him get out of her house instead of being cooped up during the weekend. Poor bastard still hasn't found accommodation yet, not that she minded all that much. At least she has someone to argue with.

Missy leaned forward, both hands on the keyboard as she began typing a reply.

\-- 

If there was one thing Clara didn't expect to see in her inbox when she returned home from school, it was an email from Professor Delgado. She was so certain that her enquiry would be ignored, or at the very least put aside for some time, but the unread email was being projected on the laptop screen.

The schoolteacher thought it was best to read it first before showing the response to Malcolm as he would usually throw a bit of tantrum if he didn't get what he wanted.

Clara Oswald opened the email with few expectations but finished reading it with high expectations. It looks like Professor Delgado wants to have a discussion with them both.

"Malcolm!" she yelled, calling her son who was upstairs.

"Yes, mummy?" Malcolm answered, slowly descending downstairs and not looking up from his Nintendo Switch. He had hoped she called him for good news since he had been disappointed earlier in the morning at not seeing his new friend, John.

Clara grinned. "You have a message from the head of the maths department!"

As soon as he heard those words, the seven-year-old scrambled to his mother, the game he was playing completely forgotten. "What does it say?" he asked. "Can I go to the lectures?"

"Calm down, Malcolm," Clara murmured, caressing his soft curls and beckoning him to sit down. "Read the email."

He pulled the laptop forward and carefully perused through the message, slowly beaming.

A click was heard coming from the front door and a second later, it swung open. Dave Oswald stepped inside carrying a bag of groceries. "I'm back from the wild!" he joked.

"Grandad!" Malcolm exclaimed, running to him. "I have a meeting with Professor Delgado next week!"

Dave glanced at his daughter for confirmation. She nodded and his eyebrows rose. "Well, that's brilliant news, isn't it?" he said gleefully before lifting his grandson up and twirling him around for a few seconds. "Alright, I can feel the backache coming," he groaned, setting the boy down. "When exactly is it?"

"Monday at four!" his grandson answered gleefully.


	4. Chapter 4

John Smith couldn't help but notice that there was something off about his best friend. She was in a good mood. Her demeanour was a lot more pleasant than usual. It is Monday. The second week of uni, which means there's still plenty of students loitering around, which means Missy should be in a foul mood.

The only good thing he could think of is that the meeting she was supposed to have with several other faculty members was cancelled on the excuse of one of them suffering from food poisoning. It was odd to think that Missy would be pleased about that since, well, she's never pleased about trivial matters.

It was unsurprising to him, however, that people began talking when they spotted the two friends arriving at university together. Luckily, Missy was quick to dismiss the rumours along the lines of him being "her best friend and very much like a brother, as well as her personal chauffeur for the time being".

And speaking of chauffeur, she had informed him yesterday that his duties as her personal driver would have to be extended until the end of the week. So much for his freedom.

Regardless, the Doctor was still puzzled as to why his best mate was acting strange, well, excited, that is. Nothing good for him usually comes out of such predicaments, such as the one time she dragged him to the pub only to have lost the woman of his dreams.

"Do you have something planned?" he half-demanded, half questioned. "You're in a good mood and that tells me you're up to something."

Missy Delgado looked up from her work and frowned. "That's just insulting, John Smith," she muttered. "For your information, I have a meeting with a potential student this evening, at four."

"Oh," her best friend murmured before a thought struck him. "I don't remember you being so pleased about meeting students."

"Special case," she stated casually. "Nothing's been confirmed yet since I'm only going to have a discussion with him."

"Well, it's a good thing I have a lecture, so I won't have to be dragged into this and in case anybody asks, I am not interested in becoming a second supervisor – do not bother me."

The professor said nothing as she watched him walk out of her office. She grinned when the door shut. "I just love playing this game."

Missy then glanced at her open diary where today's date had Clara and Malcolm's names written in the box. "It'd be one hell of a joke if this is the Clara John's been looking for," she muttered, not giving the idea a second thought.

\-- 

Clara and Malcolm managed to reach the university about ten minutes before their meeting and it gave them a bit of time to actually look for the department. A student was more than kind enough to lead them to the building and by the time they got there, it was two minutes to four. Bang on time.

Just as they walked past the automatic door, John had sprinted out via the second exit.

"Now, remember, Malcolm," Clara reminded, holding his hand. "Do not interrupt people when they're talking and do not call anyone a pudding brain."

"Yes, mummy," Malcolm replied obediently as his mother fixed his school uniform.

She knocked on the door twice before a voice was heard beckoning them to come in.

"Mrs Oswald," Missy greeted as she shook hands with Clara. Her gaze then fell on the seven-year-old boy who looked at her curiously. The professor furrowed her brows as she couldn't help but feel as if there was something familiar about him. "And you must be Malcolm," she said, extending her arm.

"It's very nice to meet you, Professor Delgado."

Missy grinned wickedly. "Missy is fine – have a seat."

Mother and son sat down on the sofa in one corner of the room while she occupied the armchair.

Malcolm caught sight of a poster that had several differential equations on it.

"I was told by your mother that you want to attend lectures here?"

The boy nodded in agreement. "The functions of several variables and complex variable modules."

Missy arched a brow. "You looked up the modules in detail, didn't you?" she muttered, more so to herself before focusing her attention on Clara. "Has Malcolm sat for any tests?"

"Just an IQ test – the Mensa one," the schoolteacher replied, producing a folder from her bag and handing it to her.

The head of the department examined the document carefully. 146. There's no doubt the boy is gifted. She looked up and saw him staring intently at the poster next to her. The facial expression is so familiar, yet, she couldn't quite place her finger on it.

"The only module I'm teaching now is Fluid Dynamics," she explained. "Hence, the poster for any of my students that drop by in case they need to be reminded of any of the equations."

Missy thought it was the right opportunity to test his mathematical ability. "Is there something that interests you?"

Malcolm stood up and walked closer to the poster to get a better look. "This here looks like a Taylor expansion and then you got rid of all the products so that you'll end up with linear terms," he stated.

Clara beamed proudly. It never ceased to amaze her how smart her little boy is.

"Exactly," the head of the department answered, a small smile playing on her lips. "It's called perturbation theory."

"So you end up with an approximate solution," Malcolm concluded.

"Yep."

She has made up her mind. The boy is going to get a private tutor, but for the sake of the meeting, she gave him several questions on simple differential and integral problems. Unsurprisingly, he managed to get them all right.

"Does this mean I get to go to lectures?" the seven-year-old inquired excitedly.

"Calm down, Malcolm," Clara said, wrapped an arm around her son.

Missy crossed her legs. "Well, there are a few things I need to discuss with your mother first, but I don't see any reason why one of the faculty members can't tutor you and that brings the question of when."

"Malcolm finishes school at around 3, so he would be able to make it to uni at four," Clara began. "However, I'm not sure if he' still up for learning at that point."

"I am!" her son chimed.

"Are you sure?" she asked in concern since she knew him better.

"What does his father think?" she asked innocently, and the room immediately fell silent. Malcolm had a sombre look on his face while his mother pressed her lips together. "I'm sorry that I ask."

"It's fine, you didn't know," Clara replied.

"How about coming here during the weekends?" Missy suggested, changing the subject. "You could say, come in on Saturday and have a tutorial for two hours – it'll be something like a trial run, see how things go and get you prepped for the modules."

She saw him knit his eyebrows and it struck her. It made sense why she thought he seemed so familiar. She had seen the same look countless times ever since she was a child.

Clara and a boy who reminds her of her idiot bestie. It was too much to be a coincidence. Despite this, Missy Delgado maintained her demeanour.

Clara couldn't have been more relieved with the plan. "That actually sounds reasonable – what do you think, Malc?"

The boy shrugged. "I don't mind."

"Brilliant," Missy stated, grinning. "I have just the perfect tutor for you, Malcolm."

The seven-year-old child's eyes lit up. "May I know who?"

"Just an old friend of mine, Dr John Smith," she continued. "I have no doubt that the two of you will get along very well – I'd be more than happy to introduce him to you, but he's currently in a lecture."

Clara stared at the professor at the mention of the name 'John'. She remembered clearly that the John she met mentioned that his best friend's name is Missy. It couldn't be the same person, could it? Perhaps it's just a coincidence.

"If that's all, I think we have everything sorted," Missy said, snapping Clara out of her thoughts. "Saturday at 11 sounds good to you?"

"Yep!"

"Do you know where the university library is?"

Malcolm glanced at his mother. "Is it that big building with those nice glass windows?"

"That's the one," the head of the department confirmed. "Just wait in the reception."

"Thank you so much for all your help, Missy," Clara thanked as the two women shook hands. "Say thank you, Malcolm."

"Thank you, Missy."

In the near future, the boy will have to call her Aunt Missy. What an amusing thought.

\-- 

If Missy in a good mood early in the morning creeped him out, Missy in the evening scared the Doctor even more. She looks amused and eager to roll out her plan as if she was some sort of villain.

"Are you sure you didn't lie to me this morning?" John asked, taking a slice of pizza from the box that was laid out on the table.

"Stop being paranoid," Missy murmured. "I signed you up for a tutorship."

"What?!" he demanded, putting down the pizza. "Did it ever occur to you to ask me first?"

She merely rolled her eyes at his dramatic reaction. "You act as if I got you on a blind date – this is work."

John massaged his forehead. "Just what exactly do I have to do?" he asked. "I'm currently teaching three modules and supervising three undergraduates on their projects."

His best friend shrugged casually. "It won't take place during the weekdays."

"Are… are you expecting me to work on Saturday and Sunday?"

"Just the former at 11 – two hours long"

The Doctor growled. "You should have asked me first."

"It would ruin the big surprise."

"I don't find this surprise amusing at all."

Oh, there is no doubt he will once he meets his son. "I met an interesting child today."

His first thought was Malcolm. "Go on."

"Mother and child came to my office and I was told that said child is gifted in maths, so long story short, you're going to be his personal tutor."

"Is the bairn's name Malcolm?"

Missy paused, surprised. "You've met him?"

"Once on the train – it was last week," John explained. "He corrected several mistakes I made on my lecture notes."

She's loving the plot twist. "That's it?"

Missy had at least expected him to point out some resemblance, but then again, this is her best friend, the Doctor, Doctor Idiot.

"What more do you want me to say?"

She fought the urge to grin and laugh. He doesn't realise one bit. "He's very intelligent – probably got it from both his parents."

John furrowed his brows and Missy brought the cup of tea to her lips to conceal her smile.

"I'm sure his parents are pleasant people when I meet them this weekend," he muttered, finally munching on the slice of pizza.

Missy Delgado isn't the type to show up to uni during the weekend, but this is one exception she will happily make.


	5. Chapter 5

At six o'clock sharp, Malcolm Oswald woke up from his slumber and went straight to the bathroom to get a shower. Saturday finally arrived and that meant today would his first ever tutorial at the university. To describe the child as excited would be an understatement.

By half-six, he was dressed, running out of his room to go downstairs and look for K9.

The commotion did not go unnoticed as Dave stepped out of his bedroom and he was surprised to see his grandson up so early. Well, earlier than usual on his own will. "Woah, where do you think you're going, Professor Oswald?"

Malcolm stopped in his tracks, racking his brain for an answer. "Downstairs to… get a snack."

His grandfather scratched his head. "Odd how your mother isn't up yet, but go on, eat something light first."

"Ok," the boy murmured as he trod downstairs to the kitchen. Opening the fridge, he took out his favourite cereal, a pint of milk and a bowl of leftovers from dinner the previous night. He was careful to only take the sausage bits and putting the rest back in the fridge.

Malcolm stepped out into the garden with K9's breakfast wrapped in a kitchen towel. He scanned around, calling the German's Shepherd name and a few seconds later, the canine raced towards him.

"Stop!" the seven-year-old instructed just as the animal was about to collide with him. "Good boy!" he giggled, setting down the food on the ground. K9 immediately devoured his meal, happy that there was food.

Pleased that his pet is eating, Malcolm returned to the kitchen. Perhaps if he waits a bit longer and bonds with K9, his mother would be able to see that he is capable of taking care of a pet. Hopefully. His dog would probably run around everywhere in the house and she certainly wouldn't like it.

"Malcolm, could you please come upstairs for a moment?" Dave called from upstairs. He sounded different. The boy couldn't quite perceive the tone.

"Yes, grandad?" the boy said when he reached the final step. He saw the door of his mother's room ajar and grandfather in the en-suite. A moment later, he heard a sneeze.

"Sorry, Malcolm," Clara said hoarsely as she sat up. "I'm afraid I won't be able to drive you to uni today – grandad will."

He strode in the room and handed her a tissue from the bedside table. "That's ok, mum," he murmured.

"Thank you," she sighed blowing her nose. "I promise I'll drive you there next week."

"I did warn you to take an umbrella," Dave muttered as he gave his daughter some paracetamol.

Clara could only manage to frown. "No need to rub it in," she grumbled, grabbing a bottle of water next to her and unscrewing the cap. "You'll be ok, right, on your first day?" she asked her son worriedly, hoping that his tutor wouldn't find him too difficult to handle.

Malcolm nodded and grinned. "I'll be on my best behaviour – I promise!"

"Good," his mother complimented, caressing his cheek.

"I hope you'll feel better soon, mummy," the seven-year-old said.

Oh, her son had absolutely no idea how badly she wanted to take him to uni. Since the meeting with Missy, her thoughts kept circling whether this was the woman who John had mentioned during that fateful night. If she is, then that could only mean the father of her child is closer than she thinks.

\--- 

"Honestly, John," Missy began, grinning from ear to ear.

"Don't be smug," John grumbled as he kept his eyes on the road. Maybe he shouldn't have suggested leaving so early.

His best friend glanced at him with a smirk. "I can do whatever I want," she sang. "Now, whose idea was it to sign you up for this whole tutoring thing?"

He decided to remain silent as a sign of not dignifying her question with an answer.

"Oh, that's right!" the professor exclaimed. "Me!"

He growled. "Shut up – I'm driving and why are you even tagging along?"

"Duh, to introduce you to the Oswalds, obviously," Missy replied. There was, of course, another reason why she wanted to be present. The more she thought about it, the more confident she is about Malcolm being John's son.

"I thought you hated working during the weekend?"

"As I said before, this is a special case."

About ten minutes later, the two academicians finally reached their destination. They immediately headed straight for the library which was unsurprisingly deserted on a Saturday morning.

John checked the time and it was five minutes to 11. He walked past the doors and spotted a small figure looking out onto the lake.

Missy pursed her lips in annoyance when she realised that the boy's mother wasn't present. Instead, an elderly man stood next to Malcolm. She cleared her throat. "Malcolm," she called, and the child turned around. He glanced at Missy before his eyes widened when he spotted John.

"Nice to see you again, Malcolm," John greeted warmly.

"Hello!" the seven-year-old said cheerfully. He certainly didn't expect the man he met on the train to be his personal tutor.

Dave then shook hands with both lecturers as they introduced each other. "I'm sure you're wondering where his mother is, but she came down with a cold – I'm Dave Oswald, the proud grandad," he explained before looking at his grandson. "Have you met him before?"

Missy had really hoped for her bestie to get the shock of his life. It seems like she will have to wait until next week.

"Yes, on the train, grandad," the boy explained. "He's the new friend I told you about."

"Ah, that makes sense," Dave murmured, ruffling Malcolm's brown curls.

John adjusted the messenger bag he was supporting with his shoulder. "Shall we get started, Malcolm?"

"Yep!" the boy exclaimed as his father lead him to one of the study rooms. "See you in two hours, grandad!"

"Have fun, Malcolm."

"She came down with a cold, you said?" Missy questioned once the two boys disappeared down the hallway.

Dave nodded. "I'm afraid so – she was looking forward to accompanying him," he answered.

Meanwhile, Malcolm and John finally found a suitable room had a decent-sized whiteboard. The seven-year-old wasted no time picking his seat and opening his backpack.

"Eager to get started, are we?" John chuckled as he sat down in the empty seat opposite his new student.

"I'm very excited to learn new things," he murmured shyly, placing his pencil case and notebook on the desk.

"Well, before we get started, I'd just like to know how much far ahead you are."

Malcolm stared at him curiously. "Ok," he said shrugging. "I… um… I know how to do derivatives and integrals," he began. "Matrices, eigenvalues and eigenvectors, how to find steady states…"

John beamed. "So your level is that of A-level – first-year sort of thing?"

His son nodded in agreement. "I guess so."

He thought it would be best to get to know the boy first make him feel comfortable before starting the lesson. "Right, so what do you do in your free time?"

Malcolm pondered for a moment. "I play videogames, watch YouTube and oh, learn to programme!"

John arched a brow. "Is that so?"

"Grandad teaches me."

To say that he was impressed would be an understatement. "What languages are you familiar with?"

The schoolboy grinned. "Java and Python."

"In that case, I can teach you MATLAB in the foreseeable future," his father stated. He could see that Malcolm seemed less shy than he was before.

Malcolm shot him a curious look and it was at that moment he realised it looked familiar. "What sort of programming language is that?" he inquired.

"The syntax is a bit like Python, but it's more mathematically oriented."

"Cool," the child said. "So, what are we going to learn today?"

The Doctor beamed. "Are you familiar with series?"

"As in geometric and arithmetic?"

"Yes, but we're going to be looking at power series."

Malcolm giggled. "Is it called that because it's powerful?"

John pondered for a moment. "I suppose so – you can do a bunch of clever things with it."

Both father and son knew they were going to enjoy spending the next two hours together.

\--- 

"It was so much fun, grandad!" Malcolm exclaimed for the third time during the car ride. "It's not boring like school."

Dave Oswald could only chuckle. "Yes, I can see you had a wonderful time."

"John said we're going to look at a Putnam integral next week and how the power series simplifies things!"

"Oh, that sounds interesting," the elderly man murmured, wondering what all the jargon words meant. The car finally came to a stop in front of the garage doors and the seven-year-old jumped out, eager to tell his mother about his time at uni.

"Well, well, well," a woman in the neighbouring house greeted. "How was your first day at uni, Malcolm?"

"It was a lot of fun, Donna!" the schoolboy exclaimed as he approached her. "I looked at the power series!"

"Did you now!" Donna said. "Bet you blew your tutor's socks off."

"He's really nice and I like him."

Donna beamed. "That's good to hear."

The seven-year-old then raced into the house to look for his mother. He ran up the stairs and into his mother's bedroom where she was currently marking essays in bed.

"Mummy!"

Clara was startled a bit when her son appeared out of nowhere. "Look who's all smiles," she teased, sounding a bit better than she did earlier in the day.

He jumped onto the bed and sat next to her. Malcolm then told her of his tutoring session from start to finish, although his mother couldn't quite comprehend what he was saying at times.

"So Missy made the right choice choosing John as your tutor?" she inquired.

"Yep, he's definitely not a pudding brain and he says he'll start taking the train to uni again on Monday."

Clara was silent for a moment. John Smith. There was that curiosity floating around in her head again. "Just a quick question about John, Malc."

"Yeah?"

"What does he look like?"

Malcolm furrowed his brows.

"I'm just wondering since I didn't get the chance to meet him today."

Her son pondered for a moment. "He looks like a magician with the coat he wore."

"Anything else?"

The boy shrugged. "He's Scottish."

Clara pursed her lips. Her son always had a bit of trouble describing facial expressions. "Is he young or old?"

"A bit old, I guess," her son answered. "Do you know him, mummy?"

She flashed a kind smile. "Probably not… it's just wishful thinking," she murmured, caressing his hair.

"What do you mean?"

"Nothing, Malc," she assured. "I'm just being silly."

But what if the man's who's tutoring her son is the same man whom she met eight years ago? Clara didn't care if she was as sick as she is by next week. She was determined to meet John Smith by hook or by crook.


	6. Chapter 6

John Smith boarded the train with a spring in his step, eager to see his new student and surely enough, he found the seven-year-old sitting in his usual spot, staring out the window. "You seem to be in deep thought."

Malcolm turned around to face him. "I just like to look at the scenery," he replied as his father settled in the seat next to him.

"So, how was your weekend?" the Doctor inquired. "Did you watch your favourite cartoons and play that Mario game?"

"Yep and grandad took me to high street on Sunday to eat ice-cream."

John arched a brow. "You have a sweet tooth?"

"Yes, and mummy says I'm only allowed to eat ice-cream twice a week," the boy explained. "What's your favourite treat?"

"Anything with sugar if I'm completely honest," the Doctor admitted.

"Too much sugar is bad for you."

He chuckled, leaning back against the seat. "I know, but my cup of coffee would taste strange otherwise."

Malcolm gave a look of disgust. If there's one thing he's not a fan of, it's coffee and the smell it produces.

Once more, his father laughed. "I take it that it's not your cup of tea?"

"I prefer mummy's hot chocolate."

"Mothers always make the best hot chocolate."

As the two were chatting with one another, a passenger saw the interaction and smiled. "It's adorable how much that boy there looks like his father there," whispered the woman to her friend.

Their meeting on the train eventually became routine. Malcolm would get on the service first, run to the back and wait for John to get on at the next stop and during certain days, they would often take the same train back home.

Naturally, Malcolm would always tell stories of his time with John to both his mother and grandfather. Eventually, he told his friends.

"Does that mean you have an extra day of learning?" Charlie asked as he took a bite of a banana.

It was the lunch break which meant that the three children were at the canteen and having their meals.

"Yeah, two hours of maths," Malcolm answered.

His friend scrunched up his nose. "I'm glad I'm not you."

"I think it's cool Malcolm gets to go to university," Bill defended, causing Charlie to pout.

"Keep it down, Bill," Malcolm whispered. There was no reason for the whole school to discover his weekend tutoring. Some of his classmates think he's strange enough.

"Sorry," his friend said.

He flashed her a kind smile. "It's ok."

"I think I prefer to watch cartoons on Saturday," Charlie stated. "But at least you enjoy learning maths."

Malcolm beamed. "I do, John explains things clearly and he makes maths fun."

It was then the boy was reminded of the conversation he had with his mother the previous week when she had questioned him about his personal tutor. He couldn't shake off the feeling that there was something more to it.

The only connection he could make is that John is the name of his father, as told by his mother, but of course, there are lots of people who share the same name as him. Aside from that, Malcolm knew that his other parent is Scottish and is a total gentleman.

He wasn't sure about the gentleman bit, but John is Scottish and that is another thing he has in common with Malcolm's father.

"You're doing another one of your thinking faces again," Bill commented, taking a sip of her orange juice.

"That's because I am."

"Thinking about another maths problem again?" Charlie asked.

Malcolm shook his head. "My head doesn't just revolve around maths, you know."

Perhaps he could approach his mother and broach on the matter. He remembers quite vividly that when he presented the question of who his father is, she seemed sad. Maybe in the near future.

\-- 

"Well, look who's still watching Mulan," Clara teased as she descended from the stairs.

"We still have time before leaving," Malcolm stated with a smile as he turned around to face her.

Clara examined her child. "Malc, that t-shirt is worn out."

"But I like it."

She crossed her arms and gave her son a stern look. "You're not going to university dressed like that."

The seven-year-old sighed before he got to his feet in defeat. "Fine, I'll go change to that other t-shirt you left on my desk."

Her features softened and she extended an arm to caress his brown curls. "That's my son."

A few minutes later, he came back downstairs wearing the item of clothing his mother had chosen for him. It a quarter past ten and Clara thought it would be best to leave.

"Are you ready to go?"

Malcolm approached the sofa to grab his backpack. "Yep."

It was strange how she was calm just as they left the house and then slowly feeling anxious as she drove her son to university. The closer they were to their destination, the more nervous she felt at the idea of meeting John.

There's no guarantee that the lecturer is Malcolm's father, but what if he is then? Has he always been here? Does he know the truth? There were so many questions running through her mind.

Clara's anxiety only got worse while she and her seven-year-old waited for John to arrive at the reception.

"Mummy, you look weird," Malcolm commented, examining her face in curiosity.

"Do I?" she asked, trying to look composed.

He nodded as confirmation. "Sort of like you're expecting something to happen."

Clara thought it would be best to quickly go to the loo and calm herself. There's no reason for her to be nervous in the first place. She was overthinking. "I think I'll just quickly pop into the restroom."

The mother got to her feet as her son told her where the nearest ladies' room was located.

"Just stay here and don't go anywhere else, alright?"

"Yes, mum."

The child sat down on one of the chairs, swinging his leg back and forth as he looked out the glass windows.

"Why the hell are you following me?" John demanded as he entered the library. Missy trailed behind him as she held her phone.

"How many times have you asked me that?" she replied cheekily. "I just want to have a chat with Malcolm's mother."

"You know that's a bloody lie," John growled quietly as he spotted the seven-year-old. "Good morning, Malcolm."

"Good morning, John – good morning, Missy."

"Where's your mummy?" Missy asked.

Malcolm took a quick glance behind him. "In the loo."

John was eager to get away from his best friend as far away as possible, so he signalled the child to follow him. "Ready to learn some more maths?"

"Definitely!"

"Don't you want to meet his mother first?" Missy inquired.

John glared at her. "I can do that after the tutorial," he said.

Both father and son then headed for the study room.

Missy rolled her eyes as she put her phone away. "Great," she grumbled. "I have to wait two more hours for the reunion of the century."

A minute later, Clara returned.

"Hello, again," the head of the department greeted. "Your son was eager to learn so his tutorial has already started."

Clara wasn't sure if the universe was trying to help her by delaying the inevitable or spare her son. Probably the latter. "Hi… yeah, that's a shame – I was looking forward to meeting the tutor."

"Why is that?" Missy murmured innocently.

"I've heard lots of great things about him from Malcolm."

Missy flashed a smile. A devious one. "Well, don't you worry about it – you'll get to meet John Smith in about two hours."

"In the meantime, I was wondering if you could advise me on Malcolm's revision plan – I just want to be sure that I'm headed in the right direction."

Missy nodded in agreement. That's one way to kill the time.

\-- 

"Right, that's it for today," John announced as he put away the marker he held. "Everything about convergence and divergence of series is now under your belt."

"When do I get to see the proof for pi-squared over six?" his son questioned.

He stared at the whiteboard. "After I've introduced you to the Fourier series and Parseval's theorem – it's quite clever how you can achieve this."

"When are we going to look at those?"

The Doctor chuckled. "I'd say… in two, maybe, three weeks," he guessed. "There are a few more pre-requisites that we need to cover."

"Alright," Malcolm grumbled, causing his father to laugh. He made a mental note to look up the proof online.

"Just be a bit patient, yeah?"

The boy packed his belongings and followed him out the door. "Do you like working as a lecturer?" he inquired. "Is this what you've always wanted to do?"

John blew air between his lips. "I do, but to be honest, I wanted to be an artist when I was a child."

"You're good at drawing, then?" Malcolm concluded. "I like drawing, too, but I'm terrible at it."

His father flashed him a kind smile as they walked down the hallway. "It gets better with practice, I promise, but I wouldn't say I'm good at it."

They finally reached the reception and John immediately caught sight of his student's mother. She had her back facing toward him as she was in conversation with Missy. There was something oddly familiar about her.

"Mum!" the seven-year-old exclaimed as he strode to his mother's side.

"Oh, there you are, Malcolm," she said, causing the Doctor to stop dead in his tracks.

It may have been eight years, but he remembers everything about Clara. Her face, her smile, the sound of her voice, her laughter.

Clara then turned around as the corner of her eye spotted a figure standing next to her. The smile on her face immediately disappeared.

Missy immediately pulled out her smartphone, grinning from ear to ear. She was going to immortalise the moment.

John opened his mouth to speak, but no words came out. His mind was racing, and he wanted to say so many things at once. He had practised his lines over a million times in his head, so there shouldn't be a problem for him to speak and yet, as he examined her face, he realised that she hadn't aged at all. If anything, she looks younger.

It was Clara who spoke first as she gave him a nervous smile. "Hello."

All the Doctor had to do was say the same thing back. So bloody simple. "Clara."

Missy shut her eyes, wanting to facepalm.

Malcolm, on the other hand, stared at his parents back and forth in confusion.

"Yes, that's my name," Clara laughed. It was comforting to know that John hadn't changed all that much. Well, aside from his hair greying, but it suited him. Made him look more handsome.

"I… um… I," he stammered, running a hand through his silver curls.

Their son finally spoke. "Mummy, have you met John before?"

She looked at the boy before her gaze returned to the Doctor. "I have… a long a time ago."

"You know, I'm beginning to think that it took divine intervention for her to sleep with you," Missy added in a bored tone.

"Language," John growled. "There's a child here."

Missy then stood up, a twinkle in her eyes. "Well, in that case, why don't you two start explaining to your poor child what's going on."

"What do you mean?" John asked in confusion.

"If there's a word that describes you best, it's 'idiot', you idiot," Missy sighed.

Clara then held Malcolm's hand. "Remember that night, when we met?"

The child leaned against his mother, eyeing his father cautiously.

John nodded carefully as his brain was piecing the puzzles. He glanced at the seven-year-old and it took a brief second for it to finally hit him. Just as she was about to continue, he beat her to it. "He's… he's mine."

"He's your son," she confirmed.

Malcolm Oswald felt as if the world had stopped moving.


	7. Chapter 7

Suddenly, Malcolm didn't see John Smith as his personal tutor and friend. He saw a stranger. Suddenly, he felt like crying, wanting to run away from everyone and be left alone. The boy didn't know why. There were so many questions going through his head. He had once asked about his father and he had only been told what his parent knew. She didn't know anything about him aside from his name and how they had met.

Malcolm now hugged his mother, unsure of how to deal with the situation. She placed a hand on top of his head in hopes of calming him down a bit.

John couldn't stop staring at his son. It made so much sense now. Now what? "I... think we should probably sit down somewhere."

Clara nodded in agreement.

"Mummy, can we go home?" Malcolm asked, eyes never leaving his father. It was difficult for him to see John as his parent. He likes him as a friend and tutor, but no more than that. The issue that bothered the child the most is why he had never met his father only for him to one day show up.

"Malc," his mother said soothingly, trying to calm him down.

John cleared his throat. "I know you must be feeling terrified and confused right now," he began. He couldn't quite comprehend what he was feeling at the moment. Shocked because who would have thought he fathered a child eight years ago, pleased because well, he finally found the Impossible Girl and terrified because again, he's a father and he was clueless for eight years. But the thought of having a son made him feel proud. He's a dad. "Perhaps we can all sit down and talk?"

The seven-year-old looked up at his mother. All he wanted to do was go home, but at the same time, he wanted to find out more about his father.

"We can go to my office," John suggested gently, in hopes that Clara and Malcolm would stay, even for a short while.

The decision was solely up to Malcolm. If he insisted on gong home, they would, so Missy decided to speak up. "I think your father is making a reasonable request and suggestion," she coaxed the young boy. "Trust me, whatever is on his mind, is on yours too."

The seven-year-old nodded in agreement, but he never let go of his mother as they were led to the department building.

Missy thought it was best to give them some privacy, so she excused herself and went to get coffee.

"Sorry about the mess," John apologised as he unlocked the door to his office and stepped aside to let them through first. "I don't think I'll ever have an organised workspace," he joked, in hopes of lighting up the mood a bit. "Make yourselves comfortable."

Malcolm's eyes landed on the whiteboard behind his father which had several equations and calculations written on it.

At least there was something to distract his mind.

"Malc," Clara began. "If you don't feel comfortable, we can always leave, and I can talk to John some other time."

"She's right," the Doctor added, although he silently prayed that they would stay.

Their son shook his head and then stared at his own two feet. "It's ok."

Suddenly, John's mind went completely blank. He had absolutely no idea what to say. He wanted to apologise for… for being daft. That's one. Did she resent him for what happened?

"I'm so sorry," Clara murmured. The words were directed at him, but she was staring at Malcolm. "I should have tried searching for you harder."

"I'm sorry for exactly the same," he confessed. "I should have been brave enough to ask for your number that day and insisted on driving you back to your friend's home."

Silence. Here was nothing but silence and he couldn't bear it.

"So, how have you, um, been?"

She beamed. "Fine, great, actually," she said. "This handsome boy here is my everything."

"Mum," Malcolm grumbled. His mother always had a habit of telling people how much she adores and loves her son.

The Doctor wished he could turn back time and slap some sense into his younger self. He should have chased after her. He could have watched his son grow up from the very beginning.

"What have you been up to since we last met?"

He blinked several times, processing her words. "Not much," he answered quietly. "I've just been lecturing – just doing boring stuff."

"He's literally been searching for you for the past eight years!" Missy yelled from the other side of the door, causing Malcolm to laugh.

The Doctor shut his eyes as he pinched the bridge of his nose. "Could you please not eavesdrop on us?"

"I only started five seconds ago."

"Get lost, Missy," he demanded. Stronger language would have been used if his son wasn't in the same room.

"Fine, just don't act like an idiot!"

"Is it true what she said?" Clara asked warily.

"I know it sounds a bit strange and just to be clear, I did try looking for you," he confessed. "Not in a stalking-kind-of-way, but you left your necklace."

Her eyes widened. "You still have it?"

"I went back to the pub and asked around, but that was fruitless, so I just hoped that I would bump into you at some random point whenever I travelled around," he continued. "And to answer your question, yes, I still have it with me."

"You didn't give up," Malcolm commented.

"Yes."

Clara now truly felt bad. Her effort was nothing compared to his. She remembered asking Amy to return to the pub and asked if the owner or the patrons ever saw John again. Unsurprisingly, none of them was helpful and she didn't blame them one bit.

"I wanted to see your mother again," the Doctor continued. "I'm sorry you had to find out the truth like this."

Malcolm knitted his eyebrows. "Does this mean I have to call you 'dad' now?"

John and Clara made awkward eye contact.

"You don't have to if you don't feel comfortable," his father said. God knows he has to get used to the idea that he has a seven-year-old son.

The room fell silent once more and Clara thought it was the appropriate time to leave. They clearly had so much more to talk about, but she thought it would be better to do it at a later time when their child isn't present.

"I think it's time for us to go," she announced, glancing at Malcolm.

John stood up. "Wait," he said. "Could I – when can I see you and Malcolm again?"

Clara once again exchanged looks with her son.

"I still have to return the necklace," he added.

"Tomorrow?" she suggested. "After three?"

Finally, the Doctor beamed. "Yes, that's great, brilliant, fantastic."

She would have preferred to have him come over earlier, but she thought it would be best to take time to reflect and give her Malcolm some space to breathe.

John held the door open for them as they exited the office. "Clara."

The schoolteacher turned around to face him. "Yes?"

"It's nice to see you again."

She flashed him a smile. "Same to you, John."

"Bye, Malcolm."

The boy stared at him father with uncertainty and murmured a quiet "Bye."

\-- 

The drive home was a quiet affair as neither mother nor son made a single noise.

"Malc," Clara said gently as the car came to a halt in front of the garage doors.

He glanced in her direction. "Yes, mummy?"

"Are you ok?"

The seven-year-old thought for a while. "You said you didn't know anything about John, aside from his name and how you met him."

It looks like she has a lot of explaining to do. She killed the engine and looked down at her hands. "It's true, I didn't know anything about your father aside from his name," she began. "But I also didn't tell you how I met him."

"Why?"

She was saving it up for when her son was a bit older, but with his superior intellect, she should have seen it coming. "I thought you were too young to know."

"How did you meet?" he asked curiously.

Clara smiled. "We met at a pub in Glasgow," she replied. "I was there with Aunty Amy and I remember wanting to just leave but then somebody bumped into me and I spilt half of my drink."

Malcolm tilted his head. "It was John, wasn't it?"

"Yeah," she laughed. "And he was such a gentleman – he took me to the best chip shop in the universe."

The boy giggled. "The best chip shop in the universe?"

"I'm not exaggerating – it's true and those chips were so good."

"So that was how you met him?"

Clara thought it was best to spare her son the details of his conception. That was something he didn't have to know. "Pretty much."

"Oh."

"Do you love him?"

She was taken back by her son's question. That was difficult to answer. Attracted? Yes. Love? It's a lot more complicated than that. She did try looking for him when she discovered she was pregnant.

"Mum?"

"Sorry," Clara murmured. "Truth to be told, Malc, I don't know."

Malcolm stared at his own two feet. "John is really nice," he commented. "I don't have to call him dad just yet, right?"

He just didn't feel that comfortable considering his father as his parent just yet. It felt strange to him.

"No, no," she confirmed. "But, if he wants to get to know you better, will you let him?"

The child didn't see any reason not to. His tutor has been nothing but kind to him. "I guess."

Clara nodded and her son opened the passenger door and hopped out of the car before running inside the house.

The moment she saw her father in the kitchen, she knew she would have a long talk with him.

"So, how did it go?" Dave asked cheerfully.

She began telling him the events that transpired from the beginning to the end.

"Well, it's good news, isn't it?" the elderly man said. "You've been wanting to contact him since ages ago."

"It is," his daughter agreed before looking up at the ceiling. "I'm just worried about Malcolm and how he's handling… this."

Dave placed a reassuring hand on top of hers. "Just remember that the boy isn't your average child… I think that he will open up once he gets to know his father better."

"Yeah, hopefully," she sighed. "I just… you could tell that John wanted to talk."

Her father beamed. "It's a good thing he's coming here tomorrow then," he murmured. "I've always wanted to meet the man who took my daughter to the best chip shop in the universe and then knocked her up"

"Why do I get the feeling you plan on making his life miserable tomorrow?" she joked.

Dave chuckled. "I promise I won't kill him," he said. "He did give me a grandson, after all."

"Right," Clara muttered as she got to her feet. "If you'll excuse me, I'm going to phone Amy."

"Oh, I'm sure she'll be relieved."

"Yep, she still feels bad for not being able to help me."

"Bless her."

\-- 

"What do you mean you found John?" Amy said in a confused manner through the other end of the phone. One moment she was putting her toddler to sleep and then the next thing she knew, her phone was ringing. Luckily, the sound didn't disrupt Melody's sleep.

Clara shut the bedroom door. "I found John, Malcolm's father."

"What?" she exclaimed. "You found the man himself?"

"Yes, as it turns out, he's Malcolm's tutor."

"The universe clearly played a part in this and is probably enjoying every moment of it."

Clara sat down on the edge of the bed. "Yeah, it took eight years."

"Better late than never," Amy stated. "Tell me everything."

The explanation lasted for about ten minutes and when Clara finally finished, her best friend was silent. "Amy?"

"Do you still fancy him?" she inquired. "Because you sound like you do."

"I'll admit that he still looks good," she confessed. "Still handsome, even with his greying hair."

"You and John did shag one another and brought Malc into this world."

Clara couldn't help but burst into laughter. "I… I guess I am," she admitted. "I'm not sure if he feels the same way, he was focused on Malcolm most of the time."

"Not surprising," Amy commented. "You should see Rory and Melody – it's as if she's his everything," she said lovingly. "But John did say he tried looking for you right – maybe he still has feelings for you, too."

"He pointed out that he wanted to return my necklace."

"I bet a hundred quid he feels the same way," Amy chimed. "There's nothing to fear if you ask me – if things work out between the two of you, I'm sure Malcolm will be happy."

There was a time when Clara was encouraged by her friends and colleague to get back into the market, to see if she can find someone to date. Malcolm was around five at that time, and boy, did he take the news badly when he discovered that his mother would be going on a date. He threw such a bad tantrum that she ended up cancelling the plan, not that she minded anyway. If anything, she was content with her life and didn't need a partner or husband to make it complete. However, now that John is back in the picture, would that change?

"I guess we'll find out, depending on how things go tomorrow."


	8. Chapter 8

John Smith spent about half an hour in his office after Clara and Malcolm left. He felt exhausted, for some strange reason. Perhaps he just needed to process things carefully first. He has a son. He found Clara and he has a son with her. He wasn't sure which of the two facts was more unbelievable.

To think that he had been befriending and teaching his own child this whole time.

The Doctor stared at his phone once more. He had exchanged numbers with Clara before she left and she had texted him her address.

A thought then hit him. Missy knew. She knew. How the hell did she know with such limited information? Then again, this is Missy, so it was barely surprising, but she knew. And she kept this from him for who knows how long.

Why the hell did she hide this from him?

John ran a hand through his hair before he decided to confront his best friend. He was cross and she wasn't going to get away with it.

He rose from the chair and marched to Missy's office. "Why did you hide it from me?" he asked in a calm tone.

She looked up from the smartphone she held with her hands. "It wouldn't be much fun if I told you, would it?" she answered casually.

"You should have told me," he growled. "If you did, then it wouldn't have been as awkward, and Malcolm wouldn't have been upset."

Missy let out a laugh, angering her friend even more. "What makes you think your kiddie wink is upset?"

"It was obvious he was!"

"He wasn't upset."

"Are you blind?"

"I should be asking you that."

John threw his hands up in the air in frustration. Why the hell did Missy have to be so difficult? "Why did you not tell me?"

"Well, let's see now if I did, I'm sure you, yes, you, would have scared her and especially your child away," she explained. "Besides, I was confident that he's yours, but not a hundred percent."

The Doctor sighed. "Well, I'm leaving," he stated. "I'll wait in the car."

"You don't need to," his best friend said as she got up and collected her coat.

When the two friends returned home, they were surprised to see Emily Saxon casually lounging in the living room, reading a book.

"When did you get here?" her mother asked.

"An hour ago," the young woman replied. "I didn't have much to do this week, so I decided to go home for the weekend," she explained before she made eye contact with her uncle. "You look like you've received life-changing news."

"That's because I have," John said.

Emily snorted. "Did you find the Impossible Girl?"

When his facial expression remained the same, she realised he was serious. "What?!"

"He also has a seven-year-old son," Missy added before heading to the kitchen.

"What?!" the university student exclaimed. "Is mum serious?"

"Yep," the Doctor answered before a small smile formed on his lips as he settled next to his goddaughter on the sofa. He told her the complete story and much to his surprise, his niece was beaming.

"You should probably bring something tomorrow," Emily suggested. "You said that Malcolm has a sweet tooth, right?"

Her uncle nodded.

"Maybe a box of Celebrations will get him to warm up to you," she said. "And don't forget the necklace!"

The Doctor chuckled. That was one of his main motivators to look for Clara.

"That reminds me," Missy sang as she entered the living room. "I have a bunch of photo albums upstairs in the attic."

John knew exactly where the conversation was going. She probably still has possession of embarrassing pictures of him back when he was younger.

"Ever wondered what your uncle looked like as a kiddie wink?" she asked her daughter. "Better, yet, you don't have to keep guessing what Malcolm looks like because he looks exactly like this homeless dork here," she explained, pointing at her best friend.

"I'll be viewing a few properties next week if that's what you're hinting at," the Doctor growled.

Missy rolled her eyes. "This is why it's so easy for me to handle Malcolm – he's almost like you and I'm just calling you homeless for the sake of it, so don't be so sensitive."

\-- 

"Malcolm David Oswald," Clara said sternly as she spotted her son sticking his head out the window up to the point where she thought he might fall. "What do you think you're doing?"

The seven-year-old quickly turned around. "Nothing, mummy," he said hastily. "I was just admiring the view while eating crisps."

Crisps he was sharing with K9 who was currently in the garden.

His mother shot him a look. "Well, just be careful, yeah"

"Yes, mum."

"Your – John will be here soon," she stated. "I don't want him to discover that you've suddenly decided to try and become Spiderman."

"No, I'm more into DC," he commented as he watched his parent walk away before letting out a sigh of relief. "Close call."

He then stuck his head out again and saw K9 looking up at him with his tongue sticking out. He had been playing a game when he heard the familiar sound of bushes rustling and knew his beloved pet had arrived, so he was more than happy to share the packet of crisps with the German Shepherd. "This is the last one," he whispered before dropping the crisp.

Just as the boy sat back down in his chair, the doorbell rang, and he knew that his father had arrived. He heard the sound of his mother's footsteps rushing downstairs to answer the door. The seven-year-old dashed to the window.

"Hide, boy!" the child instructed, and his pet immediately took cover in the bushes.

Out of curiosity, Malcolm decided to eavesdrop on his parents by the staircase.

"Hello," John greeted nervously as he held a bag in one hand. "I mean, good evening – afternoon."

"Hi," Clara replied, flashing him a kind smile. "Please come in."

"These are for Malcolm," he stated, handing her the bag. "He likes sweets, so I thought I'd buy him something."

Clara wished that John would act less nervous since it was starting to make her a bit anxious too. "That's very kind of you and I'm sure he'll be pleased," she said as she guided her guest to the living room. "Malcolm!"

Her son remained upstairs, remaining silent.

"You should probably go to your mother," Dave whispered to his grandson, frightening the boy a bit.

"Grandad," Malcolm whispered.

The elderly man merely grinned. "Go on."

The child paused for a moment before he heard his mother calling his name again. "Yes, mummy," he answered, finally descending from the staircase.

As soon as he entered the living room, all eyes were on him.

John's eyes lit up when he saw his son. "Malcolm."

"Hi," he answered shyly, sitting next to his mother.

"John got you these," Clara said, holding up the box of Celebrations. "What do you have to say?"

"Thank you very much," Malcolm thanked quietly, a small smile playing on his lips.

John chuckled. "You're very welcome," he replied before he remembered the reason he came to visit. "That reminds me."

John pulled out a white envelope from the pocket of his trousers. "Your necklace."

"Thank you," Clara said as she opened the envelope and examined the jewellery. Malcolm craned his neck to get a look at it. She glanced at her son. "I left this at John's by accident."

"How?"

The Doctor coughed and stared at the ground as he racked his brain for an explanation.

"I - we stayed his place to... eat more chips," Clara lied, hoping that her son would buy the story.

Malcolm still couldn't quite understand why his mother had to take off her necklace. "What does that have to do with sharing chips?"

"Malc, could you help me find my glasses?" his grandfather called from the stairs.

Clara and John couldn't have been more thankful for the interruption.

The seven-year-old raced upstairs to help his grandad.

Once he was out of sight, Clara and John locked eyes before they burst into a fit of giggles.

"Does his grandad visit often?"

The kettle kitchen whistled, and Clara rose from her seat. "He actually lives here with us," she explained. "He bought this home for Malcolm and me a month before I was due to give birth."

"Do you need any help?" John inquired, following her.

She switched off the socket. "No, I'm just making tea – make yourself at home."

He nodded and returned to the living room to look around. There were several picture frames on top of the fireplace. One was a picture of Clara and Malcolm during his birthday, surrounded by people. Another is a picture of an elderly woman with Malcolm sitting in her lap. He didn't look older than three years old. The next one was what he assumed was Clara's father, the same elderly woman as before, Clara and Malcolm during Christmas.

"Malc used to be so spoiled by his nan-nan," Clara murmured as she set down the tray of drinks.

John opened his mouth to speak when he spotted his son and a man entering the room.

"So, this must be the John Smith I've been hearing so much about," Dave said and extended an arm.

Both men shook hands and the Doctor felt the urge to avoid eye contact, but he knew he couldn't. "It's nice to meet you, Mr Oswald."

"Dave is fine," the elderly man insisted, finding it amusing that the man in front of him looked so uncomfortable. "Do you do this sort of thing often?"

John furrowed his brows. "What do you mean?"

"Show my daughter a good time and then be untraceable for eight years."

"Dad!" Clara hissed before her father chuckled.

"I was jesting you," he said, patting John on the shoulder. "You looked like you could use a joke."

The Doctor felt a weight being lifted off his shoulders. For a moment there, he thought he was going to get punched. "Ha."

Malcolm, who was silently listening to the conversation, glanced into the kitchen as he felt a pair of eyes on him and to his surprise, K9 was leaning against the door, looking at him excitedly.

"Mummy, can I go outside to play?" he asked, earning several strange looks.

"Yes, I think that's a good idea," Dave said as he ushered his grandson in the direction of the garden. He looked back and smiled at John and Clara. "Now you can have your talk."

The seven-year-old racked his brain for an excuse to prevent his grandfather from following him. "You don't have to follow me, grandad."

"Oh, getting rid of your grandfather, are you?"

"No, no," Malcolm argued, turning around. "I can play on my own."

Dave chuckled, ruffling the boy's hair. "In that case, I will be in the garage – can't remember the last time I tried to fix your mummy's bike."

"Two months ago."

"That long?"

Malcolm nodded as he watched his grandparent head to the garage. Quickly, he went outside and guided K9 back to the bushes. "Stay here, K9," the boy instructed. "If my mummy sees you, she'll send you away."

The German Shepherd's ears fell back.

"It's ok, I'm not going to let anything happen to you."

Back inside the house, Clara waited for her son and father to leave before she resumed the conversation. "Sorry about earlier."

John gave her a reassuring smile. "It's alright, although I was close to getting a heart attack."

Clara laughed while his gaze returned to the picture frame. "What was it like watching Malcolm grow up?"

She paused for a moment, thinking of a proper answer. "To be honest, I'm not sure how to describe it," the schoolteacher began. "I want to say amazing, but the term doesn't quite describe it."

"It was humbling, wonderful, insane, frustrating, beautiful," she continued. "He's a blessing."

"He is," John agreed, beaming. "I just wish I could experience those moments."

Clara leaned back against the sofa. "Well, better late than never – Malc's only seven."

He also wanted to share those moments with her. "And what about you?" he asked carefully. "Is there a Mr Clara?"

To his surprise, she giggled. "No, I thought it would be best to focus on our child before my own needs."

The other reason she decided to withheld was John himself.

"What about you?"

The Doctor shook his head. "I'm terrible at socialising, let alone going on a date, so I never gave it much thought."

"And yet, you were able to impress me."

"That was because I was lucky the chip shop was open that night."

She beamed. It was so much more than the chip shop. That was just a small part of it. "You never thought of settling down?"

"No."

"What about now?" she asked.

A small smile formed on the corner of his lips. "That might change," he whispered. They were flirting. He was sure of it and prayed he had his cards right.

Clara decided to tease him a bit. "You're not saying that just so you can get closer to your child, are you?"

Panic flashed in his eyes. "No, of course, not – I genuinely want to get to know my son and you the right way."

Her laughter eased him. "You haven't changed, I see."

"So haven't you," he grumbled.

She leaned forward to get closer to him. "If it's any consolation, Malcolm is curious about you," she stated. "He may not seem like it, but trust me, he kept bombarding me with questions yesterday."

"He can ask me anything."

Clara looked out the window and saw a mop of brown curls bouncing around in the garden. "Would you like to have a one-to-one talk with him?"

"Yes," John answered immediately. If he could clear things up with Malcolm and make him see that he wants to be a good father, then it would make him happy and win some favourable points with Clara, too.

"Alright, I'll be waiting here."

The Doctor grinned and grasped her hand. "Thank you."

"You're welcome."

When he stepped outside, he was greeted by the sight of Malcolm doodling on the dirt with a stick. The boy looked up and made eye contact.

"I just had a talk with your mummy, and I was wondering if I could have a chat with you."

John examined his son carefully and noticed that he looked a bit nervous.

Malcolm took a quick glance at the bushes before looking down at his drawing again. "Ok."

"What are you doing there?"

"Sketching the house."

John beamed. "Ah, yes, you mentioned to me before that you like doodling, didn't you?" he asked and a second later, he was tackled to the ground.

"K9!" Malcolm screeched, dropping the stick.

The dog pinned the boy's father to the ground, growling menacingly as he was under the impression his master was in distress.

"Get off of him, K9," the child ordered, trying to pull back the animal.

John was still in a bit of daze as he had the wind knocked out of him.

"What's going on here," Clara demanded before her eyes fell on the sight before her.

Dave rushed to the scene and immediately assisted the Doctor who was groaning in pain. "Stand down!" he ordered K9 and pulled him away.

Clara, on the other hand, went to John. "Are you alright?" she asked, helping him sit up. "Do we need to get you to a doctor?"

"I'm fine," he insisted, touching his lower back. "Just suffering from back pain."

"You have a lot of explaining to do, mister," she demanded at her son. "When did you get a dog?"

"Clara, dear, I think you're over-reacting," Dave said, petting the German Shepherd in hopes of calming him down. "He's harmless… usually."

"You knew about it?!"

The elderly man just realised the stupid mistake he made. "No…"

"You knew, grandad?"

Dave shrugged.

Clara Oswald was cross now. Her son and father are in so much trouble and not to mention that the man she shares a son with is still stunned. She was going to get to the bottom of it until she makes sure John is completely fine.


	9. Chapter 9

When K9 spotted John Smith for the first time, he felt cautious of him. He felt even more suspicious when he got closer to his master, Malcolm, and when the boy looked uncomfortable, the canine knew he had to jump in and save his best friend. Hence, the reason why he pinned the stranger to the ground. He was not someone K9 was familiar with. His scent is unfamiliar and that meant danger to the dog.

Malcolm Oswald could only watch in silence as his mother helped his father stand up to his feet. "I'm sorry," he apologised meekly, face red with embarrassment.

"It's not your fault, Malc," Dave assured, patting him on the back.

"But you are responsible for your dog," Clara stated sternly. "And don't apologise to me, say sorry to your father."

"Sorry," the seven-year-old repeated, this time saying it directly to the Doctor.

"It's alright," John murmured smiling, as he still had one hand caressing his lower back.

Clara then guided him back inside as carefully helped him sit down on the sofa. "Do you need to see a doctor – I can take you to the hospital."

"No, that's unnecessary," the lecturer insisted as he leaned back against the soft cushions.

She still felt bad for what happened. "Can I get you a pack of ice?"

He paused for a second and then nodded. "Yeah, I think that would ease the aching a bit."

The schoolteacher headed for the freezer to look for ice while John exhaled through his nose. A dog had tackled him to the ground. That's a first. Their son's secret pet, nonetheless.

"Here," Clara said gently as she handed him the pack of ice. "If you don't feel better, I'm ready to take you to the hospital."

"I'm not that old and fragile just yet," he joked, grinning as he applied the bag to his lower back.

She bit her lower lip, wishing she could do something more.

"You're not going to punish him, are you?" John asked as he eyed her cautiously.

"Well, he's certainly going to get a scolding."

To her surprise, he laughed. "It's no wonder he's such a well-behaved child – his mother is a dragon."

"It comes with being a teacher."

The Doctor arched a brow, the grin still plastered to his face. "You're a schoolteacher?"

She nodded in agreement. "Yeah, I've been teaching for what, almost eight years now," she explained. "Remember when I panicked the next morning?" she asked.

"Yes, your friend Amy thought you were kidnapped."

"It was because I had an interview that day."

He shifted a bit. "It makes a lot of sense now."

"I didn't pass nor fail the interview."

John couldn't help but chuckle. "Because you didn't get there on time."

"Exactly," she murmured. They always say that there's a silver lining for everything and it was true to some extent. If she had gotten the teaching position, she would have been based in London and lived in a tiny flat with her son, which isn't ideal in her eyes. Besides, it was unlikely she would have met John again.

At that moment, Malcolm slowly came in with a sombre look on his face with K9 standing behind him. Dave stood in the kitchen and gave him a nod.

"Mummy," the seven-year-old said meekly and his parents looked in his direction.

"Yes?"

The child hesitated for a second before he swallowed the lump in his throat. "What's going to happen to K9?"

"Malcolm, we're not keeping the dog."

"But why?" he half-whined.

Clara massaged her forehead. "You are not old enough to take care of a dog."

"I can take care of him when I come home from school and grandad says he doesn't mind looking after K9."

The mother squinted her eyes. "Did he now?" she asked, glaring at her father who retreated into the kitchen. The German Shepherd followed suit. Regardless, she didn't want a dog running inside her home. "I'm sorry, Malcolm, but we are not keeping him."

"He won't be able to survive by himself," the seven-year-old argued, voice breaking and eyes watery. "I don't want him to be taken away."

John felt sorry for his son. The sight before him broke his heart and before he could think clearly, his mouth took control of itself. "I can take care of your dog for the time being."

Malcolm's eyes lit up and K9 perked his ears.

Clara shot the Doctor a confused look. "He just tackled you to the ground just five minutes ago."

He managed a chuckle. "Been through worse," he said, removing the icepack from his back. "Missy has a shed in her garden and it's barely used – I think I can turn it into a makeshift doghouse."

"Are you absolutely sure about this?" the schoolteacher questioned. "Is she ok with it?"

"I've known her for fifty years – she'll be fine with a dog living in her shed."

Malcolm finally smiled. "Thank you, thank you so much."

John flashed him a kind smile. "You're very welcome."

"Ok, so his name is K9," the boy began explaining sitting next to his father. "I think he's a puppy – I googled what German Shepherds look like as puppies and he doesn't look like an adult yet."

Clara covered her face with a hand, hiding the smile that washed over her face. What on earth just happened? It was supposed to just be a simple meeting and it turned into one heck of an adventure.

"Hang on, I'm a bit confused here," the Doctor stated. "Why do you call him canine?"

"It's a pun – the letter K and the number 9."

"Ah, that's clever of you."

Malcolm giggled in response. "K9 likes chicken bones and anything that's chicken, really."

"Ok, I got that."

"He also likes crisps, blueberries and loves playing fetch."

"And tackling me apparently," John joked.

His child grimaced. "I've never seen him do that before until now."

"I can why – he's very protective of you."

The boy peered into the kitchen, beaming. "I guess he is."

At that moment, Clara realised something. Her son was actually interacting with his father. He wasn't reserved and hesitant anymore. The German Shepherd actually improved the relationship between father and son.

Looks like she'll have another long phone call with Amy. She'll definitely be amused.

\-- 

As soon as the vehicle came to a halt, John Smith turned around and stared at the German Shepherd currently sitting in the back seat. The animal tilted his head in curiosity. He sighed. "The things I do to please Malcolm."

At the mention of his master's name, the dog barked happily.

"Keep it down," John grumbled. "We don't want to surprise Missy just yet."

K9 lied back down.

"You have to promise to be on your best behaviour," he said sternly, causing the canine to whimper. "No tackling people, no chewing things, unless it's food and no misbehaving."

The animal merely looked at John before the lecturer unbuckled the seatbelt. He got off the vehicle and opened the passenger door to let K9 out.

"Just stay close to me."

As quietly as possible, John unlocked the front door and stuck his head inside before nodding to the hallway.

"Uncle John, is that you?" Emily called from upstairs excitedly. He could hear footsteps a second later. "How did it-"

She didn't get the chance to finish her sentence as her gaze fell onto the German Shepherd.

"There's a very reasonable explanation for this," John whispered to his goddaughter.

"Reasonable explanation for what?" Missy demanded as she descended from the stairs. She saw the dog and then locked eyes with her best friend. "What, did you get your son a pet so you could score brownie points?"

"It's actually the other way around - he adopted this one in secret," John muttered before he began explaining how his meeting at the Oswald household went. Needless to say, Emily and Missy weren't able to help themselves from laughing when he told them how K9 had attacked him.

"It's a very interesting story, I have to admit," Missy stated, petting K9. "But what makes you think I'm going to allow this mutt to stay here?"

John shot a glare. "It's only temporary – I told you that I'll be viewing flats next week," he explained, before realising that he would need to look for a bigger property that's pet-friendly. "I think I have to call my agent and rectify a few things."

"He's so cute and fluffy," Emily cooed as she gave K9 a belly rub. "I'm sure there's space from his somewhere."

"In case you've forgotten, this is my home," her mother pointed out. She may give off the façade that she doesn't care much about K9, but her actions say otherwise.

"Mum, come on," Emily coaxed. "It's just temporary as Uncle John said."

"He could sleep in the shed," John suggested, hoping his friend would finally agree.

She rubbed K9's ears, considering his idea. It'll be nice to have a guard dog and scare the neighbours for the heck of it. "Fine, but I don't want him running around inside this house."

"Yes!"

John rolled his eyes. "I'm sure he'll behave."

"So is this pup a stray or did somebody abandon him?" Missy questioned.

"Stray, according to Malcolm."

"You'll have to take him to the vet."

"I know," the Doctor grumbled. "You don't have to tell me."

Later that evening, John cleaned the shed and turned it into a makeshift doghouse. He placed several stacks of blankets in one corner, and a bowl of food and water in the other. It wasn't exactly perfect, but it would do for the time being.

K9 sat down on the blankets and curled into a ball, ears lowered. He gave John his best puppy eyes.

"What's wrong?"

The German Shepherd whimpered in response.

"Are you cold?" John asked. "Is the blanket not comfortable?"

K9 was now silent and it hit him.

"Do you miss Malcolm?"

Another whimper.

He knelt and rubbed the dog's neck. "It won't be long until you see him again – I plan to take you to the vet on Tuesday and then maybe we can stop by to see Malcolm, yeah?"

The puppy's ear perked up.

"And I'm sure he misses you, too."

An idea then struck him. John pulled out his smartphone and opened the camera app. He could snap a picture of K9 and send it to Clara to show it to Malcolm.

\-- 

Clara Oswald pulled the duvet up a little higher as her son settled in bed. "Comfortable, Professor Oswald?"

"Yes," the seven-year-old answered in a sombre tone and his mother immediately knew what was bothering him.

"Malc," she said gently as she stroked his curly hair. "K9 is going to be just fine – he's with John."

"I know, but I miss him."

She kissed his forehead. "Well, I'll send him a text tomorrow to see if he can bring your pet over, but no promises."

Finally, Malcolm smiled. "Alright."

"That's my genius boy," she murmured, planting a kiss on his head. At that moment, her phone beeped. It was odd to receive a message at this time of the night, so she grabbed her phone from the nightstand, thinking that it was probably Amy.

The mother scanned through the message she had just received and grinned. "Well, looks like your wish somewhat came true," she murmured, handing her son the electronic device.

Malcolm grinned when he saw the picture his father had sent him.

"Feel a bit better?"

He nodded silently, resting his head against the soft pillow. "Goodnight, mummy."

"Goodnight, Malc," she murmured, rising to her feet.

"Mummy."

"Yes?"

"Could you please tell K9 and John I said goodnight?"

Clara's lips curved upwards. "I will," she answered, switching off the light. "Love you."

"Love you, too, mummy."

She shut the door and gazed back at the smartphone she held in her hand. It seems that John has amazing dad skills.


	10. Chapter 10

When Monday morning finally came, Malcolm Oswald was eager to get to the train station, hop on the usual service and see his father. He had asked his mother if there were any new updates or messages from him, but to his disappointment, there were none.

The child even nearly forgot to say goodbye to his grandfather as he was dropped off at the station. "Bye, grandad!" he said, waving at the elderly man before turning around and hopping into the coach. He sat in his usual seat and patiently waited for his father to arrive.

No more than 10 minutes later, the service finally reached the next stop and Malcolm beamed when he saw John Smith as he couldn't wait to ask him about the well-being of his beloved pet.

"Good morning," the Doctor greeted with a smile as he sat down next to his son.

"Morning," the child greeted back before getting straight to the point. "How's K9? Is he ok?"

John couldn't help but chuckle at the boy's enthusiasm. "Yes, he's fine and seems to be adjusting to his new environment."

"That's good," Malcolm replied. "Mummy showed me the picture you took last night."

The lecturer made a mental note to do the same thing later tonight. "I just thought it would ease your mind a bit to know that he's being taken care of."

"Have you ever had a dog before?"

"No, I used to live in a tiny flat in Glasgow, so it wasn't exactly an ideal place to keep a pet."

It was then John realised that the way he had explained it sounded as if he had indefinitely left Glasgow. That was odd. He had told himself that once the contract was over, he'd return to his hometown and now he's not so sure if it is indeed the case, as much as he hated to admit it. He had spent all his life in Scotland and the idea of moving away just didn't stick with him.

"No, I meant when you were younger," Malcolm said, bringing his father back into reality.

The Doctor scratched the back of his neck. "Uh, no, never had any pets," he stated before a thought came to him. "That reminds me."

"Yes?"

"I'm planning to take K9 to the vet tomorrow which is around the same time you come home from school, so would you like us to drop by after?"

Malcolm's eyes immediately lit up. "Yes!" he exclaimed.

John nodded. "Right, I just have to check with your mummy to see if it's alright with her and speaking of your mother, is she still cross with you?"

"No," the boy began. "She was happy and smiling today."

The lecturer wondered if it had something to do with the text message he had sent Clara earlier in the morning. He had asked her if their son was ok and even wished her to have a safe commute to work.

"That's good."

"But I was still punished."

The grin that was plastered on the Doctor's face disappeared. "What happened?"

"No video games for a week."

John couldn't help but laugh. "That doesn't sound so bad."

"That's seven days, which is 168 hours and I still have 166 hours to go," Malcolm grumbled.

"Trust me, a week isn't that long and before you know it, you'll be allowed to play Pokemon again."

The schoolboy shrugged in silence, not completely agreeing with his father.

\--

Later that day, after returning home from school, Malcolm Oswald pondered if his mother would allow him to see his pet tomorrow. After all, he was still being punished.

So, when Clara came home from work, exhausted and somewhat annoyed that the Year 11s she was in charge of were not cooperating at all during her lesson, she wanted nothing more than to just perhaps take a quick nap, but no, the universe had other plans for her. If anything, her mood elevated a bit when she spotted her child in the living room.

"Hello, mister," she greeted as the boy turned around to face her.

Malcolm flashed her a grin and she figured that he was up to something. "Alright, what's going on?"

"Did you talk to John?"

She arched a brow. "No, he hasn't texted or called me since this morning."

A look of disappointment washed over his face. "Oh…"

"Care to explain?"

"Maybe he wants to ask you out on a date," Dave teased his daughter, causing her face to redden.

"A date?"

"Your grandad is just teasing me, Malc," Clara assured, shooting a look at her father.

For some strange reason, the seven-year-old could envision his parents having dinner together and the idea didn't seem to bother him all that much. "Do you like him?"

"Malcolm, we've talked about this."

"Do you feel differently now?"

This is what happens when her child is intellectually gifted. The schoolteacher opened her mouth to speak, but she was saved by her ringing phone. It was, of course, none other than John Smith. "Hello."

"Clara, hi, hello, it' me, John," the Doctor stammered before he realised that he was making a fool of himself. "Well, of course, you'd know it's me, so I really didn't have to introduce myself."

She couldn't help but chuckle before striding to the kitchen to get some privacy.

Malcolm exchanged looks with his grandfather who was watching TV. "I think that answered your question," the elderly man murmured.

"I guess he's ok," the seven-year-old commented. "Mummy has that weird look whenever she's talking to John."

Dave raised an eyebrow. "What look?"

His grandson shrugged. "I don't know, it's just a weird look."

He made a mental note to be more observant next time. "If you ask me, I think your mummy and John want to go out on a date together."

Again, the thought of his parents dating didn't seem to instil annoyance or fear, which he supposed was a good thing. "Why can't I come along?"

Dave rubbed his chin, choosing his words carefully. "Well, if you want your mummy to be happy and ensure she gets to know John without any biased opinions, then it's best to just leave them alone."

His grandfather had a point and Malcolm couldn't come up with any counterarguments. "I'll have to get to know him better first."

Upon hearing this, Dave Oswald let out a laugh. He ruffled the boy's hair. "Such a mummy's boy."

"Malcolm," Clara called as she entered the living room. "John just called me and asked if he could stop by with K9 tomorrow after visiting the vet."

Her son nodded. "He told me he would call you."

Malcolm was still being punished but she never mentioned anything about banning him from seeing his pet, so she made the decision to allow the meeting. "He can come over."

The child jumped with joy.

"On one condition."

"You'll have dinner with John on Thursday."

She thought it was only appropriate to let them spend time together in order to bond. Besides, the Doctor was showing effort at being a parent.

Malcolm shrugged. "Ok."

It will give him the opportunity to interrogate his father about his feelings towards his mother.

Clara was a bit surprised that her son didn't show any sort of resistance. "Great, I'll text him."

Dave gave his grandson a thumbs up.

"Oh, and your Aunt Amy and Uncle Rory are coming over on Sunday."

As much as Malcolm loves them, he doesn't like it when Melody goes straight to him and starts bullying him. "Is Melody going to pull my hair again?"

"She likes you Malc," his mother defended. "She's a playful toddler just like you were when you were her age."

"Does that mean I'm no longer punished?"

Clara merely laughed in response before pinching his cheek. "Nice try, mister."

Oh well. It was worth a shot.

\--

The trip to the vet was… interesting if John could put it nicely. It wasn't like K9 decided to run amok and started attacking everyone in the clinic per se, but he did throw a bit of tantrum when he realised where he was at. Well, the vet and two assistants along with the Doctor himself spent about fifteen minutes chasing K9 around as he refused to be vaccinated.

They eventually caught him and administered the shot.

Now, here they were, standing in front of the Oswald household. John held him with a brand new leash he bought the previous day.

As the lecturer rang the doorbell, he glanced at the German Shepherd. "Excited to see Malcolm again?"

The dog barked in response.

The door clicked and the Doctor had expected Clara to answer the door. To his surprise, it was his son instead. The boy had a wide grin plastered on his face.

"K9!"

The animal dashed for his best friend and circled around him.

"Malcolm," Clara called. "Did you say hi to your father?"

"Sorry," her child apologised. "Hi, John and thank you for taking K9 to the vet," he added sincerely.

"That's better," she murmured, appearing by the door.

Just like that, John became speechless. Clara looked even more beautiful than the last time he saw her which wasn't too long ago.

"Would you like to come in or do you want to stand there all day?" she giggled.

Malcolm stared at his parents. "Is this a mating ritual?" he asked out of pure innocence.

John raised both eyebrows while Clara shot their son a look. "Where did you learn to say that?" she demanded.

"From that documentary."

"What documentary?"

''About wolves."

The parents exchanged looks before the mother spoke. "Malc, you can't say that in public."

The child knitted his eyebrows in confusion. "Why not – isn't that what you and John were doing?"

Dave, who had been silently listening to their conversation from upstairs, merely covered his mouth to prevent himself from laughing.

"No," the Doctor denied hastily. "I was just… admiring your mum's… face."

The attention was now on him.

"My face?"

Oh, God. What has he gotten himself into? "Well, yes… your face," he stammered. "It's round and you have a nose, eyebrows and a pair of… eyes."

The schoolteacher wasn't sure if the man in front of her was attempting to flirt, poorly, at that or trying to make it less obvious to his son that he was.

There was nothing but awkward silence until Malcolm decided to let his parents be. "Come on, K9, let's play fetch!"

The German Shepherd barked in agreement and followed his master to the garden, leaving the couple alone.

John stepped inside and took off his coat.

"Admiring my face, is that the best you've got?" Clara asked, laughing.

"That was the first thing that came to mind," he answered, flashing a nervous smile.

"At least he's no longer interested in us."

He followed her into the living room. "So, um, how have you been?"

"Same old, same old and make yourself at home," she said. "I'm just going to make tea."

The Doctor nodded and murmured thanks before settling down on the sofa. He caught sight of the exercise sheet he had given Malcolm the week before. Next to it was another sheet of paper with the solutions to the first question. He reached for it and examined his son's work.

A few minutes later, he heard footsteps and looked up.

"Malcolm just started that an hour ago."

"He's sorted out the first two questions and was apparently working on the third one," he commented, smiling.

"Looked like a mini version of you while he was busy finishing his homework."

John wondered if it was the right time to ask. Missy had come up to him with a piece of advice: Ask Clara and Malcolm to accompany him to the property viewings on Saturday after the tutorial. It sounded like a good idea, but what if they had other plans or thought he was taking things too fast?

He could ask her a simple question. No big deal. All he had to do was say something along the lines of whether she and Malcolm would like to help him find a place to rent. Simple. However, what came out of his mouth was instead, "Rent a flat."

Clara paused. "What?"

Now would be a good time for the ground to swallow him. "Sorry, what I meant to say, or rather ask was… are you and Malcolm free this Saturday after the tutorial?"

"I'm still looking for a place to rent and there's an agent who will show me a few houses and flats," he added. "I'm unfamiliar with this area."

She blinked before realising what he meant and beamed. "Yes, of course," she replied. "We'd be happy to keep you company and help out."

The Doctor ran a hand through his silver curls. "Fantastic, great, brilliant!" he exclaimed.

Maybe he could take them out for lunch after that as a way of saying thank you if they were up for it.


	11. Chapter 11

"Well, well, well," Missy Delgado greeted her best friend as he stepped inside her home. She sat in the living room with a laptop on the coffee table. "Look who's all smiles – I'm guessing that everything went well, and Clara didn't run away screaming and calling you a creep?"

John rolled his eyes and shut the door after waiting for K9 to catch up. "Shut up and yes, just like you bloody predicted, she said yes."

His best friend didn't utter a single word. She didn't need to. The smug look on her face said everything. It irritated John that she was silently gloating. Sure, she deserved it for helping him, but there was no need to do it in front of him.

"Stop it."

"Stop what?" Missy asked innocently. "I'm just sitting here in my own home of which you are seeking refuge."

The Doctor stared at her icily.

"That reminds me, how did Malcolm react?" she asked, summoning K9 by snapping her fingers. The German Shepherd ran to her side in an instant.

He opened his mouth to tell her how his son had labelled the interaction between him and Clara as a 'mating ritual' but thought the better of it. His bestie would probably make fun of him even more and he didn't need that right now.

"I'm waiting."

"He seemed fine with the idea, especially after he realised that K9 would be coming along."

She examined his face carefully, squinting her eyes. "That's all you have to say?"

"Oh, I won't be having dinner with you on Thursday," John stated. He would be spared from her cooking for one night. "I'm taking Malcolm out."

Missy crossed her arms and smirked. "Interesting."

"Clara thinks that it's only fair I spend time with him."

"What, is your own child going to assess whether you're good enough for his mother?" she teased, earning a glare.

"We're just going to have some quality father and son time," he growled as he walked past his best friend.

Missy shut her laptop. "Aw, how cute," she cooed sarcastically. "You bringing the dog?"

How could he forget about the pet? Would it be a good idea to take K9 with him? Wouldn't that narrow down the number of restaurants he would choose? "Yes, I guess I will since it'll make him so happy."

She flashed him a devious smile. Missy Delgado couldn't wait to hear how her bestie was going to get questioned.

\-- 

Malcolm Oswald stared out the window as he waited patiently for his father to arrive. It was Thursday and as soon as he came home, he showered and changed clothes. Today would be the day he would be spending time with his father and also K9, but mostly his father.

The boy had already come up with a string of questions in his mind, most of which are related to his mother. If he is sincere, then he saw no reason why his parents shouldn't be dating.

"Eager to go out with your dad?" Dave asked as he looked up from the crossword puzzle he was working on.

His grandson whirled around. "Yep, it's just me, John and K9."

"Right, I've charged your grandad's phone, which he never uses," Clara said pointedly as she descended from the stairs. "If something comes up, call me."

As much as she wanted her son to spend time with his father, she had every right to be nervous. She wouldn't be present and there's no way of knowing if Malcolm will completely behave and get along with John. Then again, maybe she's overthinking. It will be fine.

"Just text me once you've arrived at the restaurant."

Malcolm furrowed his brows. "Mummy, John is just going to take me to GBK – I told you this yesterday."

"Yes, I know," she confirmed. "But still, text me," she insisted, handing him the smartphone.

"Ok."

A few minutes later, they saw a black vehicle slowly approaching the front porch.

Clara flashed a smile and waved when she made eye contact with John. In return, he smiled back and honked.

"Look, Malcolm," Dave said teasingly. "Your parents are in another mating ritual."

"I'm just being polite," the schoolteacher retorted as she guided her child to the door. "Now, remember, behave yourself and don't be rude."

"Yes, mummy," the seven-year-old grumbled. He had been told the same thing many times before when attending his classmates' birthday party or going on a school trip.

His mother smoothed his unruly brown hair and beamed. "Have fun, too," she murmured and planted a kiss on her son's cheek before unlocking the door.

Malcolm greeted John before he raced to the car to sit next to his beloved pet.

"I'll be with you in a moment," John said before turning around to face Clara. "We won't be long, so we should be back before seven."

"It's fine, I trust you not to kidnap our child."

The Doctor chuckled. "If you need anything, just text me, yes?"

She nodded all smiles. "Could you get me a burger?" she said jokingly.

They stared at each other for a few moments longer before John broke the eye contact. "I'll see you in a few hours."

"I'll be right here."

Without another word, he returned to the car. "Right," he began, putting on the safety belt. "Seatbelt?"

"Check."

"Do you have everything that you need?"

Malcolm nodded.

"Ok, let's get on the road, then," his father murmured as he put the car in reverse.

The journey lasted less than twenty minutes with Malcolm being silent most of the time in the backseat. He would occasionally pet K9 while looking out the window.

John thought it would be best to save the chatting once they had arrived. He parked the vehicle at a train station nearby before guiding his son and pet to high street.

"Can I hold his leash?"

"Sure, once we're a bit closer – there are too many cars here."

They came across a zebra crossing before reaching the restaurant. The Doctor then wondered if his son would be alright with him holding his hand. He was sure the boy wouldn't suddenly run away, but it didn't feel right to let a seven-year-old cross the road by himself.

With his free hand, John grabbed Malcolm's wrist gently. "Come on," he said quietly as the light turned green. Much to his surprise, his son grasped his hand.

A smile slowly formed on his lips. Who would have thought something as simple as holding his child's hand would make him feel happy.

John then handed the leash to him. "Here."

The boy grinned and took it as his pet then stood next to him.

"Good evening sir," the waiter at the door greeted with a smile.

"Good evening – table for three, well, two plus a dog."

"Is it ok if you sit in the back, there's a bit more space there which I think would be ideal for your pet."

The Doctor nodded. "Yes, that's fine."

Malcolm finally let go of his father's hand when they took their respective seats.

"Comfortable?"

He nodded silently before looking underneath the table where K9 was currently lying down. "Is K9 going to get a treat?"

His father flashed him a smile before pointing at the menu. "I'm sure there's something for him but think about what you want to eat first."

The child began swinging his legs back and forth as he examined the list of food and drinks available. "Am I allowed to have a milkshake?"

"Sure, but that means no ice-cream since your mum said you can't have too much sugar."

"Deal," Malcolm replied.

John decided to give his son a few more minutes to peruse through the kids' menu. "Made up your mind?"

"I think I'll have the panko burger."

"Excellent choice," he murmured before signalling at the waiter and placed their order. "Have you ever eaten here before?" he asked once the server walked away.

"A couple of times," the seven-year-old answered. "Bill celebrated her birthday here last year."

Malcolm watched as his father nod. He thought that now would be the appropriate time to bombard him with questions. "Can I ask you a question?"

The lecturer's eyes widened. "You sound as if you're about to interrogate me."

His son knitted his eyebrows.

"I'm just teasing."

"Do you like mum?"

John blinked once, froze for a few seconds and then blinked again. "Um, she's a very nice person, so yes, I do like her."

"No, do you like her as in you like her like how Woody likes Bo Peep?"

At this point, he might as well ask if he's in love with Clara. It would make no difference. He cleared his throat and ran a hand through his hair. "That's a good question."

"K9, do you think John likes mum?"

The German Shepherd immediately barked from underneath the table.

Oh, such a clever boy. He was indeed being interrogated. He could feel his son staring into his soul.

"One chocolate milkshake and one coke," a waitress said as she set their drinks on the table. "Enjoy."

"Thank you," both father and son murmured in unison.

John opened the can and poured his drink while Malcolm tasted his milkshake. The child's eyes never moving away from the man sitting in front of him.

The Doctor took a sip of his drink first. "I've liked her since the first time I saw her."

"Mummy told me how she met you," the boy stated. "She said you took her to the best chip shop in the universe."

At the mention of this, John laughed. "I did and it's not an exaggeration," he replied, silently hoping he could take them both to Glasgow one day.

"Do you like Disney films?"

He was slightly taken back by the question. "Um, sure, they're ok."

"What's your favourite?"

He scratched the back of his neck. "I think Tarzan since it's well written and has a nice ending."

Any answer would have been correct, so it didn't matter to Malcolm. "Do you smoke?"

"No," the Doctor denied immediately. "I'm totally against it."

It looks like his father has passed the test. "That's good because grandad said that people who smoke end up with a damaged brain and I know you're telling the truth because your brain is functioning properly."

"Thank… you?"

Their meals arrived and John was more than relieved to have a temporary distraction. K9 was even given a small piece of meat.

"How is it?" he asked after Malcolm took a bite of his burger.

"It's good," the seven-year-old answered.

The two continued to eat in silence with some occasional small chit chat while continuously giving K9 some of their chips. Once dinner was over, they headed straight back home, and it was around seven when they arrived.

John got out of the car and opened the passenger door to let his son and pet out.

"Look who's finally back," a voice quipped.

Clara was leaning against the door frame with a smile plastered on her face. "Did you boys have fun?"

The German Shepherd was the first to respond by barking loudly before racing inside to the garden.

She stroked her son's hair. "Hello, handsome."

"Mummy," the boy grumbled as he blushed. "Not in public and yes, I like having dinner with John."

Finally, the schoolteacher made eye contact with the man himself. "I hope everything went smoothly."

"Absolutely," he answered with a shy smile. "Although, I was asked a series of strange questions."

The smile dropped. "What?"

"There's nothing to be alarmed about," he said, brushing it off with a chuckle.

"Where's grandad?" the child inquired.

"Out with an old friend of his," Clara answered before focusing her attention back to the Doctor.

"Would you like to come inside and have tea?" she asked. She knew she could easily get him to spill the bean. "Malcolm and K9 have just started playing."

The Doctor cleared his throat. "That would be nice," he whispered just loud enough for her to hear before entering the house.

This time, they had a change of scenery and were now seated in the kitchen, each holding a mug to warm their hands. At first, they said nothing, merely staring at each other.

Their moment of intimacy was interrupted when their son stepped into the kitchen to get a bottle of water. He froze and wondered what his parents were doing. Another mating ritual it seems.

Clara and John looked away before the mother spoke. "Yes, Malc?"

"Sorry, I just needed to get some water."

He quickly opened the cupboard, grabbed an unopened bottle before sprinting outside.

"I'm going to take a wild guess and say that he must have asked you something strange and funny," Clara began as she broke the silence.

He once again fixed his curly hair before recalling all the questions their son had asked him.

"He said that?" Clara said in bewilderment. "Then again, I'm not surprised he did since he learns lots of things from his grandad."

"I just hope he enjoyed having dinner with me," John confessed, staring out the window as he watched their son. He was surprised to feel a hand on top of his.

"He did, I'm sure he did," Clara insisted in a whisper, granting him a warm smile.

Their faces drew closer. It felt like déjà vu. As if they were transported back in time to the chip shop. She closed her eyes, anticipating the kiss.

Just as their lips were about to touch, the door slammed open and Malcolm giggled loudly as he ran inside. His laughter then died when he caught his parents in the act.

Clara and John immediately pulled away. They couldn't blame the boy for barging in since they were in the kitchen after all.

"I think I should leave," he announced. "It's getting late."

The woman next to him remained silent as he stood up and summoned K9. Malcolm didn't even dare to protest.

"Thank you for tea, it was lovely," John said hastily. "I'll see you on Saturday, yeah?"

"Yeah," Clara agreed as she watched him and the dog, who resisted at first, leave in a hurry.

"Mummy," Malcolm called once his father left the room. "Did I interrupt you?" he questioned, worried that he had done something wrong.

"No, no," she insisted. "We, your father and I just got caught in the moment."

"What do you mean?"

She sighed. "If I'm completely honest, I don't know myself."

"Sorry."

"Malc, there's no need for you to apologise," she explained before beckoning her son to sit next to her. "It wasn't your fault and don't think for a fraction of a second it is."

"Is this another matin-"

She arched a brow and he immediately kept quiet.

Clara knew she still had feelings for John, but she wasn't sure if he truly felt the same way. A thought crossed her mind. Was he only doing it for their child? Did Malcolm tell his father about what happened at school a few years ago?


	12. Chapter 12

John Smith grinned from ear to ear when he spotted his son sitting in the library waiting area, but when he saw Clara, he began feeling nervous as he remembered what nearly happened a few days ago. It was Saturday and today would be the day he would be accompanied by both to the viewings.

"I hope you didn't have to wait for long," he said.

"No, we just got here less than ten minutes ago, didn't we, Malc?" she answered. "We thought we might be late because we had difficulty finding an Uber at first."

Clara seemed to look calm and composed as if nothing ever happened.

"Yep!" the boy answered enthusiastically. He was excited to accompany his father to look at a bunch of different homes. That was something he had never done before and was curious to know what it was like.

"Did you finish the homework I gave you, though?" the Doctor asked with a serious tone.

"Yes, but I didn't really understand the final question."

"I'm sure we can go through the problem," he murmured, avoiding eye contact with Clara. It was then a thought came to him. "That reminds me."

John opened his messenger bag and pulled out a small envelope before handing it to his son.

"Missy said to give this to you."

The seven-year-old examined the letter. On the front, it merely had his name written out, and on the back, there was a message for him stating to open the envelope after his tutorial.

"I have a vague idea of what's inside," his father muttered dejectedly.

"It says here that I can open it after the tutorial," the child continued before putting the letter in his backpack.

"So, ready for today's lesson?"

Clara couldn't help but wonder why John was acting a bit strange. He was completely avoiding her gaze. Did it have something to do with what happened a few days ago? Was he also thinking about it?

"Yep!" Malcolm answered before following his father's lead and waving goodbye to his mother.

For the next two hours, Clara Oswald remained in her seat in the waiting longue. She was able to do a bit of thinking and came to the conclusion that she would have to bring up the matter with John at some point.

Every time she closed her eyes, she could picture his face, so close to hers, ready to brush lips. It was just like the time in the chip shop. It felt as if they were in their own world.

Clara opened her eyes.

Maybe she could ask John to stay for an hour or two instead of just dropping them off at home. He would surely say yes, and Malcolm would no doubt be pleased to spend more time with his pet.

The only issue now is the viewings. If he was avoiding her, then there would be no point in her being present, wouldn't it?

The schoolteacher was snapped out of her thoughts when a voice called her. "Mummy!"

Her lips curved into a smile. "Hello, you," she greeted and spotted John trailing behind.

"John said we're going to pick up K9!"

The Doctor hid his hands in the pockets of his trousers, fiddling with the car keys. "I hope that's ok with you," he stated. "I couldn't bring K9 here and it will also give Malcolm a chance to meet Missy and my goddaughter."

"You have a goddaughter?" Clara said, surprised.

"Yes, she just started university," he added as they walked out of the building. "Emily will surely adore you," the Doctor said to his son.

"Why?" Malcolm questioned innocently.

His father flashed him a smile. "I may have told her about you."

"Adults are strange," the child commented, earning a chuckle from his mother.

Clara patted his arm. "Just don't say that to Emily, yeah?"

"Well, he's not wrong, most adults are strange – the world is very strange," John argued.

She raised an eyebrow. "And that includes you."

"I'm sure grandad would roll his eyes and say that you and John are flirting again."

As soon as those words left Malcolm's mouth, both parents began blushing and became silent. Luckily, they finally reached the car park.

The seven-year-old was the first to get in, then his father and then finally, his mother who went around the car.

The Doctor had half-expected her to sit next to him, but he wasn't complaining. Not a single bit. If anything, he's pleased. "Seatbelts on, please."

"Done," his son announced, eager to see his beloved pet as soon as possible.

Unsurprisingly, the journey didn't involve much chatting and to counter the silence, John thought it would be a good idea to turn on the radio. At least it would mask the awkwardness in the air a bit since every time he took a quick glance at the woman next to him, all he could think about was snogging her and that wasn't an option with their son present.

__  
If all it is is eight letters  
Why is it so hard to say?  
If all it is is eight letters  
Why am I in my own way?  
Why do I pull you close  
And then ask you for space?  
If all it is is eight letters  
Why is it so hard to say? (whoa oh, yeah)  


Just what he bloody needed. He glanced to his left and noticed that Clara had a strange look on her face.

__  
When I close my eyes  
It's you there in my mind  
When I close my eyes  


John couldn't believe that he made things even more awkward than they already are.

"What are the eight letters?" Malcolm asked curiously. "There a bunch of different combinations that will give you an eight-letter word."

His mother bit her lower lip, looking down at her hands. "You'll understand when you're a bit older, Malc."

The child began thinking of a list of eight-letter words. "Quizzing, buzzword, puzzling, flapjack, sizzling," he said.

This caused both his parents to laugh and confuse him.

__  
If all it is is eight letters  
Why is it so hard to say?  
If all it is is eight letters  
Why am I in my own way?  
Why do I pull you close  
And then ask you for space?  
If all it is is eight letters  
Why is it so hard to say? (whoa oh, yeah)  


"He's so much like you," Clara commented to John.

He kept his eyes on the road but managed a smile. Their son, on the other hand, wondered if indeed, his parents were in another mating ritual. He would have to ask his grandad when he returns home.

\-- 

"Who's the world's good boy?" Emily cooed as she rubbed K9's belly. The German Shepherd stuck out his tongue in approval. "You are!"

A second later, the dog dashed to the windows, wagging his tail and barking happily. A black vehicle came into view, parking in front of the house.

"Mum!" Emily called her mother who was upstairs. "The guests are here!" she announced gleefully.

"Remember to embarrass your uncle and tell his future wife that he snores!" Missy yelled.

Her daughter facepalmed. "I'm not going to do that," she groaned, but unable to help herself from giggling as she unlocked the door.

K9 barked happily before running to his best friend.

"He acts as if he hasn't seen Malcolm for years," John commented as he stepped inside.

"Yeah, I had to distract him by giving him belly rubs," his goddaughter said before locking eyes with Clara. Her smile grew wider. "You must be Clara, Uncle John told nothing but wonderful things about you!" she said before hugging the schoolteacher.

"It's nice to meet, you too, Emily," she replied, patting her on the back.

Malcolm was still outside with his pet, sprinting around the car before his mother called him. He had been told that he would be meeting Missy again and his father's goddaughter, which he didn't think much about until he laid eyes on Emily Saxon.

The seven-year-old's eyes grew wide and he froze in his spot.

"Malcolm."

"Malcolm," his father called, and he snapped back to reality. "This is Emily," he introduced.

Slowly, he walked towards her, mouth slightly agape. The only thing he could manage was a shy hello. He was still taken back by how pretty she looks.

"Your dad told me you're a math wizard," Emily commented, and Malcolm nodded automatically.

The family then went to the living room to sit down.

"Tell your mum that she doesn't need to serve or prepare anything – I just dropped by to pick-up K9," John said to the young woman.

"Are you sure, Uncle John?"

He then checked the time on his wristwatch. "Yes, we're going to be late if we don't leave in ten minutes."

"So, Emily, what do you study at university?" Clara asked.

"Law," she answered. "I've always loved history and have always been interested in the law."

"That's cool," Malcolm murmured out of the blue, surprising everyone in the room.

"I beg to differ," Missy muttered as she entered the living room. "Clara," she acknowledged before setting her sights on the boy. "Malcolm," she purred. "Did you open the letter I gave you?"

"No, I haven't, it's in my rucksack."

"In that case, I can just get the photo album."

There is no way in hell Missy is going to humiliate him in front of so many people, so John decided it was time for them to leave. "Would you look at the time, we have to go," he stated as he got to his feet.

Clara shot the Doctor a confused look as she ushered her and their son to the door.

"It was a pleasure to meet you, Emily," the schoolteacher said whilst she was being guided to the car.

"Same to you, Clara," the young woman replied, wishing that her mother would for once, stop bullying her uncle. "And you too, Malcolm!"

The boy waved at her in response.

The moment they got inside the vehicle, Clara and John exchanged looks, unable to help themselves from smiling. It was amusing that their son was experiencing his first crush.

"So," the schoolteacher began as she glanced at the backseat. Malcolm was slowly stroking K9's head. "That was an interesting meeting, wasn't it?"

The child furrowed his brows. "What do you mean interesting, mummy?"

"Emily is really nice and friendly, isn't she?" she commented.

He beamed. "She is."

"Well, I'm sure we'll see her again soon," John murmured, taking a quick glance at his son from the rear-view mirror. The boy was opening the envelope.

He inhaled and hoped for the best.

Malcolm burst into a fit of giggles as examined the photographs, well, two of them to be precise.

"I hate you, Missy," his father muttered.

"What's so funny, Malc?"

"The note on the back says that this is John during his sixth birthday and he's crying because Missy pinched him!" the child answered gleefully as he handed the picture to his mother.

"Cute, not the crying, but you look cute, nonetheless," Clara commented to the man next to her.

"And humiliated."

Malcolm then showed the other one. "This is John when he was at university!" he explained. The picture showed a young John with a scowl.

"Bet you're going to look just as handsome, if not, even more, when you're a bit older," she complimented her son.

The Doctor merely coughed in response, unable to help himself from chuckling.

The car journey was a fairly short one and before anyone knew it, they had arrived at the first house. The Doctor checked his phone again to make sure he got the right address, and this was confirmed when he saw the 'For Sale/Rent' sign along with a silver car parked in the porch.

"First property – let's just hope K9 and I like this one, so we don't have to go through a dozen more," he said, stepping out of the vehicle.

To his surprise, the agent who greeted him wasn't the one he had been in contact with.

"Hi," the man greeted with a charming smile. "Jack Harkness – and yes, you're absolutely right, Taylor called in sick at the last minute so here I am!"

John couldn't but feel as if there was something strange about the agent. Did the man just wink at him? "Um, hi, John Smith."

"Oh, I know who you are," Jack replied, wondering why his colleague didn't mention anything about their potential tenant bringing his family along. "And this must be your stunning wife and adorable kid – looks just like you and a doggo just completes the family picture."

Once more, he winked, but this time at Clara.

"Can we just have a look at the house," John half-demanded. He caught what Jack did and didn't like the look he was shooting at the schoolteacher.

Clara held his arm in hopes of subtly reminding him to keep his manners in check. "I'm Clara and this is our son, Malcolm, and his pet, K9."

Jack wasn't taken back by his client's rude demeanour the slightest. "Let's head inside, shall we?"

John Smith had no idea what he's in for.


	13. Chapter 13

Jack Harkness noticed two things. One, his client's child loves his pet and two, his client seems to be acting totally not husband-like around his wife. Maybe he had made a mistake and misjudged the family. Well, regarding the latter, at least. There's only one way to find out.

"This here is the back garden, decent size for your handsome doggo to run around and play together with his best friend," he explained. "It comes with this furniture here," tapping the wooden table and chair set. "Which is nice for when you just want to chill during summertime or even wintertime – whatever floats your boat."

"Yes, I'm well aware that the house is fully furnished," John grumbled as he looked around the garden. "What do you think, K9?"

The German Shepherd barked approvingly as he ran around.

"This area a big tick in the box, then?" Jack inquired.

The Doctor merely shrugged. "I suppose it's alright – K9 seems happy to have some space to run around."

The agent grinned in response. "In that case, let's head upstairs," he declared before stepping aside to let Clara through. "Ladies first."

"Thanks," she chuckled, admiring the newly renovated kitchen once more before entering the hallway.

"You should convince your hubby to just take this place," Jack whispered loudly. "I've had several clients visiting this house and they all fell in love with the kitchen."

The schoolteacher made eye contact with John, who still had a frown on his face. "I think that's up to him to decide."

"Malcolm, K9," he called. "Come on, we're going upstairs."

Both son and pet raced inside as they started a mini race. The father that now would be an appropriate time to get some feedback from his boy regarding the property. "How do like this one so far?"

"I like it," Malcolm answered. "The garden is huge."

John pondered whether he should just take the offer now since he didn't want to deal with Jack any longer, but he was sure that Clara would argue. "Go on," he said, beckoning his son to go upstairs. He looked around, seeing if he could picture himself living here. He wasn't sure what to do with the two extra bedrooms, though. Well, Malcolm could have one if he's allowed to have a sleepover.

"Room number one, the master bedroom!" Jack announced as the family entered. "This is where the magic happens," he murmured, wiggling his eyebrows. "It's got a decent-sized en-suite with one of those fancy shower heads that gives you 'The Notebook' vibes if you're into that sort of thing."

"Mummy, what's he talking about?"

"He's referencing a film," Clara replied hastily.

The agent then pulled open the wardrobe that was built into the wall. "Nice hiding spot when playing hide and seek, too."

The comment earned him a giggle from the child.

"There's lots of natural light coming in from these windows here," he continued explaining. "The perfect room for a married couple and for your child and pet to use as a playroom."

"Yes, yes, I get it, it's a nice room," the Doctor grunted.

"Why don't we have a look at the next one?" Clara suggested as she linked arms with him.

While she guided him to the next room, Jack took the opportunity to talk to Malcolm. "So, kiddo, what's the deal with your parents – they arguing?"

The seven-year-old squinted his eyes. "They like each other."

"Oh, snap," the agent murmured. K9 barked in agreement. "Ok, right, let me show you your potential room."

"You sound different."

"That's because I spent the first sixteen years of my life in the US before coming here," Jack answered and laughed. He always got that sort of remark.

"Which part?" the child continued to inquire.

"That's a story for another day, kid."

The second room was clearly smaller than the master bedroom, but it was spacious enough for a single occupant. "Large enough to have a tiny gaming setup in one corner of the room and small enough that the dog doesn't start running around," Jack explained.

Clara thought she'd play into the role for the heck of it. No harm. "What do you think, Malc?"

Her question confused the boy even more. Was he missing something? Should he just go along? Whatever it is, he's clearly too young for it. "Um, I guess it's ok."

John, on the other hand, remained silent. Is this an indication that she would let their son stay with him? "I'll take it," he blurted, surprising everyone including himself. Oh, well. At least he won't have to deal with the annoying agent again.

Jack raised an eyebrow. "We haven't even finished the tour yet."

"I've made up my mind."

"I still haven't shown you the third bedroom and the bathroom just yet."

"Made up my mind," the Doctor grunted, crossing his arms.

Clara decided to step in. "Maybe we should just see the whole house first before you firmly decide, hm?"

It's not like John could say no to those eyes of hers. "Fine."

"See, at least your beautiful wifey here is being a sport," Jack commented, grinning. "Oh, and your kid and dog, too."

John said nothing as he followed the agent to the third room, passing by the bathroom which Jack briefly talked about.

"So this room here is the last stop of our final tour – I'm sure you could use this room for a bunch of different things, including turning it into a study or perhaps a nursery," he added suggestively. "Could definitely imagine a cute white cot in the middle here."

Clara and John immediately began blushing as they didn't expect the property agent to be so frank, then again, they should have seen it coming.

"What do you mean nursery?"

"Ask your parents, kiddo."

"I hate you," John growled before his features softened as he glanced at his son. "This man here is insane, Malcolm, so just ignore him."

"You'll thank me one day," Jack sang. "So, what will it be?"

"As I said before, I'll take it."

The agent shrugged. "Great choice I guess since there's a bunch of people eyeing this house too."

After they had agreed upon another meeting, which Jack had referred to as a date, to finalise a few trivial things, John immediately took his family outside, away from the 'bloody flirting machine'.

Clara only found it even more amusing. He was clearly jealous, and she thought about teasing him. "I really like Jack – very enthusiastic."

"I don't like his enthusiasm," the Doctor muttered, putting the car in reverse. "I find him annoying."

In all his grumbling and jealousy, he had nearly forgotten about lunch. Well, it wouldn't hurt to ask and he didn't see any reason why Clara and Malcolm would refuse.

"So, since the viewing ended earlier than expected, would you like to have lunch?"

The smile on Clara's face was all the confirmation he needed.

"Let's go to McDonald's!"

K9 barked in agreement.

"What?" both parents said in confusion.

"Can we go to McDonald's, please?" Malcolm pleaded just as his parents exchanged looks.

"Alright, Mickey D's it is," his father laughed. "Do you know where the nearest McDonald's is?" he asked the woman sitting next to him.

"Been there plenty of times – I'll show you the way."

\-- 

Lunch, as Clara had discovered, was enjoyable, even though they only ate fast food. What made it feel special was that she felt as if her family felt complete, not that it didn't before. She couldn't quite explain it. Wholesome. That's what it was.

They laughed, told jokes and just had a fun time overall.

It was then she remembered the plan she made earlier during the day. She needed to talk to John.

"Well, here we are," he announced with a hint of dread in his voice. He wished he was able to spend more time with them.

Malcolm glanced at his pet. "Bye, K9, I'll see you soon," he murmured, hugging the German Shepherd who whimpered.

"Aren't you going to come inside?" Clara asked.

The Doctor was surprised by her invitation. "Sure, I'd love to – I mean, I have plenty of free time at the moment."

She beamed, unbuckling the seatbelt. "Great," she replied as their son and pet stepped out of the vehicle and raced to the door. It was answered by none other than Dave.

"Hello, I'm surprised that you're back so soon."

"John decided to rent the first house we visited since he couldn't stand the property agent," Clara explained and chuckled.

Her father still didn't quite understand why he did so.

"I'll give you the full details later," she added, walking past him.

"John, nice to see you again," Dave greeted as the two men shook hands.

"Same to you," the Doctor answered although he still had trouble making eye contact and so he immediately followed Clara. The grandfather, on the other hand, thought he would best give them some privacy by joining his grandson in the garden.

"Tea?" she offered, opening one of the cupboards.

"No, thank you, I'm good actually."

She took her time to build up the courage to talk to him and address the incident from a few days ago. Her back faced him.

John could tell that there was something on her mind, something that was clearly bothering her as she still hadn't turned around.

Clara wasn't entirely sure as to why she couldn't just say what was on her mind. Perhaps part of her was scared and would feel disappointed if he didn't quite feel the same way.

"So," she began, whirling around. "How's work?"

She felt embarrassed for asking such a stupid question.

"Good, I enjoy teaching and doing research," he replied, wondering where she was steering the conversation into.

Clara nodded. "John, there's something I need to ask."

He really didn't like the tone of her voice. It scared him. He had heard it once before and that was when his first wife confessed that she wanted a divorce. "Yes?"

She finally looked into his blue eyes, or were they green? She could never tell. "About last Thursday, the um, the almost kiss that we had."

In his state of internal panic, he blurted out, "Yes, it'll never happen again."

Clara looked at him in surprise and shortly after disappointed washed over her face. "Oh," was all she managed.

John wanted to kick himself. He was so bad at reading other people's emotions that he wasn't sure if Clara had indeed meant what she said or not. "Um, I mean," he stammered, trying to find the right words, wanting to tell her that he would like to take her out on a proper date. "Do you want to go out on a date with me?"

He wasn't sure if he was imagining but he could have sworn that her eyes were inflating.

"Yes, I'd love that," Clara murmured, feeling relieved.

"Fantastic, next Friday?"

"As far as I'm aware, my schedule's free."

John Smith flashed a boyish grin.

\-- 

"I honestly don't know what goes on in his head, Amy," Clara sighed as her best friend listened intently. "One moment we were flirting and then the next he just pushes me away and I think it's unintentional, but hey, at least we're going on a date."

"He's probably just nervous," Amy replied quietly, not wanting her husband, Dave, and Malcolm, who were playing a video together, from listening in on their conversation. Her two-year-old daughter was perched on her lap.

"And I'm sure he was jealous when that property agent winked at me," Clara giggled. "That's definitely not something I imagined."

"Yeah, and he said that one of the rooms would make a nice nursery, right?"

"Yay!" Malcolm exclaimed happily as he finished the race in first place. "I won!"

"I can't believe you beat me again!" his grandfather said.

"Well played – I didn't stand a chance there," Rory complimented. "Want a rematch?"

"I think I'm going to choose a different map."

Amy returned her gaze to her best friend. "So Malc's warming up to his dad?"

"Oh, trust me, I'm just waiting for him to call John 'dad' now."

"That well?"

Clara nodded. "You should see them together and John adores him and K9 just makes things even better."

"Do I hear wedding bells in the future?"

"Amy!"

Her best friend chuckled. "You fancied him from the start."

That was something Clara Oswald couldn't deny. For the first time in eight years, she was actually looking forward to going out on a date, especially when that date is the father of her child.


	14. Chapter 14

"You're a bloody idiot," Missy commented calmly after she had listened to her best friend's story.

"I am well aware of that, so there is no need for you to rub it in," John growled before hiding his face in his hands again.

She shrugged. "You deserve it for being an idiot, idiot."

"It's as if I lose all social skills when I look at her."

"Sorry, can't relate."

"Well," he grunted. "At least she agreed to go out on a date with me."

Emily had just been grinning from ear to ear the moment her uncle had finished explaining everything. "So, when is it?"

"Friday at around six, well, I'll pick her up at six," he explained, unable to help himself from grinning. It was then he was reminded that his son has a crush on his goddaughter. Best to keep it to himself for now.

"Have you decided where you're going to take her?"

He was definitely going to play it safe and take Clara to that nice Italian restaurant he had been eyeing for weeks now. "Capaldi's."

"Good choice."

"I thought he'd actually take Clara to Yo Sushi since he's been ordering takeaway from that place almost every day," Missy teased. "Isn't that right, K9?"

The German Shepherd barked in response.

"That's because your cooking is atrocious," John snapped. "Have you ever thought of taking lessons?"

"Ever thought of being grateful?" she retorted.

"You kept insisting I order something after you finish cooking!"

"Ok, I think the fighting should stop now," Emily commented.

John Smith couldn't wait to move out of his best friend's home. He finally understood why her own daughter wanted to be live in London. All he had to do now was wait for the heaters to be upgraded and then he would go to Jack's office to sign the papers and grabs the keys to his new home.

"So, when are you moving out?" Missy asked casually.

"Wednesday if everything goes well."

She leaned back against the cushions. "That's one more meeting with your new admirer."

Emily wasn't able to help herself from laughing. "He flirts with anything that breathes," she said. "From the sound of it," the young woman added hastily.

"That's the problem," her uncle grumbled. "He thinks he's funny."

"I'm sure he means well and it's just for fun."

Not when he flirted with Clara. He actually had the guts to flirt with him and her even though he had come up with the imaginary conclusion that they were married. It's not his fault sure, judging by the picture he saw, but that still didn't give him the right to act like the bloody flirting machine that he is.

\-- 

Clara Oswald had had a good Sunday afternoon. Her best friend and family came over to visit, the food she prepared wasn't a complete disaster and she couldn't stop thinking about her upcoming date.

John had only told her when and didn't mention where they'd be dining, not that she minded. She fancied being surprised by his choice. The only thing she has to do now is to tell her son about the date.

"Malcolm," the schoolteacher called from her bedroom. "Could you come here, please."

A few seconds later, her son appeared with wide eyes and a worried look as he was under the impression that he was in trouble. "Yes, mummy?"

"You're not in trouble," she chuckled, and he immediately relaxed before sitting next to her at the edge of the mattress. "You've asked me before if I like John, right?"

Malcolm nodded in silent agreement.

"Well, I do like him and more than just a friend," she began.

The seven-year-old could see where the conversation was going. "Are you going to marry him?"

"What?" she exclaimed. "No, I just wanted to tell you that I'll be going on a date with him."

"Oh," was all the boy said. He would have advised his mother to wait a bit first if she had told him she was getting married. "Ok, when's the date?"

"Friday, I'll only be gone for a few hours and you and grandad can spend time together," she replied, stroking his hair.

"But I'm still going to have my tutorial on Saturday, right?" Malcolm asked. "He's not going to forget, right?"

"Of course, not and I'll even remind him."

His grandad did tell him a few years ago, that one day, his mother would eventually go on another date and find someone she will spend the rest of her life with. He was at least glad that the date is John. Any other person would have been a big no.

"I can even ask him to bring K9 here so you can babysit him," Clara added.

At the mention of this, the schoolboy beamed. "Sounds reasonable."

"So you're fine, yeah?"

"Only if John takes you somewhere nice and if you have a good time."

She was sure she would and when the day finally came, she was surprised that her son was more engaging than usual when picking out a dress.

"How's this one?" Clara asked, showing Malcolm, who was lying in bed, a black dress. She was currently in a cosy bathrobe, preparing for the evening.

He looked at the iPad he held, reading an article about date attire.

"Malc, you don't have to keep googling," his mother pointed out. "Just tell me if it suits me or not," she laughed.

"I think it makes you look weird."

"Definitely not this one then," she murmured, putting it away and pulling out a red dress. "This?"

"Too bright."

They had gone through five dresses so far and she was down to the last one she liked the most. "What about this blue one?"

Malcolm stared at it for a few seconds and shrugged. "I guess it's ok – reminds me of John for some weird reason."

"This one it is then, thank you, Malc," his mother said as he raced out of the master bedroom.

"You're welcome, mummy," he answered. "When is John going to pick you up?"

"In an hour," she replied as her child shut the door.

\-- 

"Flowers?"

"Check," John Smith answered as he held up the bouquet of roses. One can't go wrong with a classic.

"M&Ms for Malcolm?"

"Check," he grumbled, shooting his friend an annoyed look. The Doctor adjusted his jacket one more time, making sure he looked neat and proper.

K9 stood up and followed him to the front door, wagging his tail excitedly as he knew where he was going.

Missy grinned. She had never seen her best friend so happy and elated. It was only proper for her to ruin his mood. "Have fun and if you're planning on shagging, be sure to use protection!"

"Sod off, Missy and get out of my house," he growled, unlocking the car and opening the passenger door to let his pet in. He regretted the decision of inviting her over to help him prepare for the date. She had given him several cue cards on what to say and that was the only helpful thing she did.

She rolled her eyes before stepping outside and entering her own vehicle. "Show a bit of gratitude to the very person who made your son's existence possible."

He locked the door and shot her an icy look.

"Always can't take a joke," she murmured, chuckling. The professor honked at her best friend before driving off.

John entered his car and put on the seatbelt. "Do you think the date will go ok?"

K9 barked, placing a paw on his arm in reassurance.

About twenty minutes later, he arrived at his destination and bang on time, too. He spotted Malcolm staring at him through the window and the boy waved at them both before disappearing into the hallway.

The Doctor wasted no time stepping out of the vehicle and leading K9 to the entrance. He had been on dates before. No big deal.

As he adjusted the packet of chocolates and bouquet of flowers in his hands, the door swung open, revealing his date. His mouth went agape as he stared at the stunning woman before him. He didn't even notice that the dog had dashed inside and up the stairs where Malcolm was sitting or rather, hiding.

The child could see his father's facial expression clearly and he wasn't able to stop himself from giggling. "It's just like when Hercules saw Meg."

Clara flashed him an awkward smile. "What's with that look?"

"These are for you," John murmured as he handed her the roses. "You," he began, trying to compliment her and not sounding cliché at the same time. "The dress suits you."

To his relief, she beamed.

"And these are for Malcolm," he murmured, holding up the packet of M&M's.

"Spoiling him, are you?" she teased before glancing at the staircase. "Malc, John has a gift for you."

A second later, the seven-year-old raced downstairs, smiling at his father. "Thank you."

"Just don't finish the whole thing, yes?"

"I won't," his son replied before staring at his mother. "Are you going to leave now?"

"Yes, and I promise you that I'll be back in two hours," she said. "You and K9 behave yourselves – don't give grandad any trouble."

"We won't – we're going to watch Shazam!"

She ruffled his hair. "Love you."

"Love you, too, mummy," Malcolm answered. "Bye, John."

His father smiled. "I'll see you later tonight, Malcolm," he murmured as Clara hooked her arm around his and was led to the running vehicle.

"I'm surprised that Malcolm seems completely fine with the date," John confessed once they were inside the car.

"You're not the only one," she agreed, thinking that one reason their son isn't against the idea of them dating is that John is his father.

"He actually advised me to give you roses on our commute this morning," he said before realising that he had said too much.

Clara raised an eyebrow. "Did he now?"

"I've only just realised that I wasn't supposed to mention that."

To his surprise, the woman next to him chuckled. "For the record, I would have been happy even if you showed up with just M&M's."

The Doctor's lips curved upward.

The journey only lasted for a short while and before Clara knew it, they had arrived at their destination. "Capaldi's," she commented. "Fancy."

"It's a nice Italian restaurant and you deserve to eat good food."

The schoolteacher made a mental note to split the bill with him as she stepped out of the vehicle.

The Doctor was more than pleased with how his date was currently running. Smoothly. They went inside, were ushered to their table, ordered their meals and the food was much better than his expectation. Their conversation started out casual, talking about the horrible British weather, Malcolm's progress and even John's new home. It turns out he didn't need those cue cards after all.

"So what made you move all the way from Glasgow to Surrey?" Clara inquired as she took a sip of her wine.

"Missy's department was short on staff and so she asked if I could come here and fill in a position," he explained. "I was a bit hesitant at first since I didn't want to leave Glasgow, but here I am in the end and I'm glad I took her offer."

"You've never left Glasgow then before this?"

He shook his head, lowering the fork he held. "Born and bred there and it's home to me," he answered. "What about you, have you always wanted to be a teacher?"

"I knew I can work with children well," Clara began. "Most of the time, that is, and I used to work as a nanny for a family, the Maitlands and after a year, I went back to university to complete my PGCE, so yes, I knew I would go into teaching."

The couple continued to chat and dine until they finished their meals. John and Clara had learned more about each other than ever before and both thought that the date was a success.

They had briefly argued over the bill with the Doctor insisting to pay and his Impossible Girl wanting to split the bill. Unsurprisingly, Clara won the argument.

Both then wasted no time returning home as it was getting late and they knew that Malcolm would surely start wondering when his parents would be coming home. The journey was fairly silent as the only sound which could be heard was the roaring of the engine.

"I hope you had an enjoyable time," the Doctor murmured as he parked the car in front of the house.

"It was wonderful," his date said and beamed. Clara wondered if he would make a move or she would do it first. "I hope you're not forgetting your pet."

"Oh, right," he answered before stepping out and sprinting over to the other side to open the passenger door. John offered her his hand she took it.

He could vaguely remember Missy reminding him to kiss his date before leaving and he wasn't sure when was the right time. His best friend had also informed him that Clara might give him a hint 'since the universe knew how much of a dork he is'.

John Smith merely stared at Clara Oswald with bewildered eyes, much like an owl's as she stood facing him.

"So when's the next date?" she asked playfully.

His brain racked for an answer. "I don't know?"

Clara held back her laughter. "How about next Friday, hm?"

"Yes, Friday is good," he replied. "Friday is a good day for a date."

She tilted her head, wondering if he was going to kiss her since his eyes kept diverting to her lips, but he was clearly nervous. "You do realise that we have another date, right, so there's no need for you to feel anxious."

Again, there was that owl look. Looks like she'll have to be bold.

She placed both hands on his shoulders, got on her toes and brushed her lips against his.

To say that the Doctor liked the feel and taste of her lips would be an understatement. He cupped her face with both hands, trying to adjust to a better angle and Clara wrapped her arms around his neck.

Both couldn't have asked for a better date.

Eventually, they broke the kiss, still wrapped in each other's arms and had smiles on their faces.


	15. Chapter 15

**One Hour Earlier**

The evening in the Oswald household had been fairly quiet and calm. Malcolm and K9 were sitting in the living room, watching a superhero film, so that meant Dave was able to get dinner started without any sort of distraction.

Half an hour into the film, the German Shepherd left his master's side on the sofa and jumped down to retrieve a green tennis ball before dropping it in front of Malcolm. The pup wagged his tail in excitement.

"Are you bored?" the seven-year-old asked and received a whimper as an answer. "Alright, just once," he said quietly before rolling the ball onto the floor.

K9 immediately sprinted after the ball and a moment later, returned before plopping it next to his best friend's feet.

"No, boy, we can't play inside."

The German Shepherd gave his best sad eyes and eventually won over Malcolm.

The child took a quick glance into the kitchen and saw that his grandad was currently invested in preparing dinner. He threw the ball this time, rather than letting it roll as before and watched as K9 jumped into the air to catch it.

They continued playing in the living room for several more minutes until a particular toss was missed by the pup, hitting a vase instead which then tumbled to the floor and shattered into a million pieces.

Malcolm and K9 immediately froze and the sound of broken glass did not go unnoticed by Dave who raced into the living room.

"What's going on?" he asked worriedly before he caught sight of the vase and tennis ball. "Malcolm," he said sternly.

The seven-year-old flashed a guilty look. "I'm sorry," he apologised, panic in his eyes. What would his mother say when she sees this?

"Explain," Dave demanded, crossing his arms and causing K9 to whimper.

His grandchild recounted the incident in great detail, not missing a single thing and when he finished, he apologised once more.

"I'm not the one you should be apologising to," the elderly man commented softly before he sighed. "Go wait in the kitchen while I get the hoover to clean this up."

"Can I help?" Malcolm offered.

Dave ruffled his curly hair. "No, shards of glass are dangerous, and I know you didn't mean to do this, so go on."

The child and his pet then slowly took their walk of shame to the kitchen whilst they waited for the living room to be safe and clear of glass.

"Just do me a favour and tell me when the water boils."

"Ok, grandad."

Less than five minutes later, Dave completed his task and returned to the kitchen. "Right," he began, switching off the stove. "You can return to the living room now and please, just watch Shazam," he added. "The pasta will be ready very soon."

His grandchild nodded in silence before leaving the kitchen with K9 to resume their film.

"Dinner is served!" Dave announced as he walked in with a tray. There were two bowls filled with pasta while another had dog treats.

"Are you still angry, grandad?" Malcolm asked cautiously.

"No, of course, not," his grandfather reassured with a smile. "Although, you still have to tell your mummy what happened."

He grimaced at just the thought of it. There was a possibility that he was going to ruin her night. "Do you think she'll be mad?"

Dave patted him on the back. "Relax, Malcolm," he said. "She probably won't get too cross with you."

He was sure of that if her date goes well, then he didn't see any sort of reason why it wouldn't in the first place. "Now stop thinking about the vase and eat because the pasta is getting cold."

About an hour later, Malcolm Oswald patiently waited for his parents to return and K9 stood by his side loyally. The blinds were shut so that meant he wouldn't be able to see his father's car, but it didn't mean he couldn't hear it.

Surely enough, after what felt like an eternity, the seven-year-old heard the sound of a car engine he was accustomed to. However, he still remained in his spot on the sofa, sitting next to his grandfather who was snoring softly.

Should he apologise to his mother first and then explain what happened or should it be the other way around? Did it matter? Most likely not.

After two minutes of debating, Malcolm planted his feet on the ground, determined to go to the door, open it and apologise to his mother first.

His pet trailed behind him, following his every move and when they reached the entrance, they heard John and Clara talking in hushed tones followed by silence and then giggling.

The boy unlocked the door and swung it open. He was greeted by the sight of his parents embracing each other and what puzzled him, even more, was that their faces were so close.

"Malcolm," his mother greeted in surprise before freeing herself from John and turning around to face him.

"I'm sorry," he murmured, staring at his own two feet.

"There's no need to apologise, Malcolm," his father said.

"No, no, I… broke something," he confessed, hoping he didn't incur his mother's wrath.

Clara knitted her eyebrows. "What did you break?"

"The red vase," her child replied meekly and avoided her gaze.

She couldn't possibly be too cross since he seems to be feeling guilty and not to mention that she was still floating on cloud nine after the kiss. "It's alright Malcolm," she murmured, caressing the boy's cheek. "I'm not angry since you were honest with me and apologised."

The boy's eyes lit up and so did K9 when the pup realised that they weren't going to get a scolding.

"Just promise me you won't do it again."

"I promise!" he exclaimed and thought it would be wise to change the subject. "How was the date?" he asked his parents.

Clara and John exchanged looks before they beamed. "We had a fun time," she replied, not wanting to give too many details.

John gave their son two thumbs up while she wasn't looking. "How about you?" he asked. "How was that Shazam film?"

"I loved it, but grandad fell asleep halfway through," Malcolm answered, looking into the living room.

His father then cleared his throat. "I should get going then – K9," he called, and the German Shepherd reluctantly followed his command. "Don't give me that look."

Malcolm bid goodbye to his pet by hugging him and watching him get inside the car.

"I'll see you tomorrow, Malcolm," his father said. "Maybe we can go to McDonald's again after the tutorial," he suggested in hopes of lifting the boy's spirits a bit.

"Deal!"

Clara shook her head in amusement. "Go on inside, it's chilly," she ordered. "I just need to speak to your father."

Malcolm thought that his mother's request was a bit strange, but he complied.

"Spoiling him again, are you?" she teased.

The Doctor shut the passenger door before facing her. "I didn't say anything about you not being able to come along."

"Well, if that's the case, you can pick us up in the morning, so I don't have to drive all the way to uni."

He was surprised by her offer and was more than happy to accept it. "Yes, I'll stop by to pick you two up."

She placed both hands on his chest. "Goodnight, John Smith," Clara whispered before planting a chaste kiss on his lips.

"Goodnight, Clara Oswald," he replied before releasing her and entering the vehicle.

His heart was still racing when he drove off and it was still racing with excitement and happiness when he returned home. Even K9 found it weird that his new master is still grinning like a dork.

"What?" John said. "I'm happy and… in love."

Just when he thought he would be able to kick up his feet and relax, Emily phoned him, not that he minded one bit. At least it wasn't Missy.

\--

"This is confusing me a bit," Malcolm muttered as he stared at the differential equation his father had written on the whiteboard.

"What's confusing?"

"I know that if you differentiate the first bit in terms of y and the second bit in terms of x, you'd get the same thing and I'm not so sure what to do next."

John nodded proudly. "Your observation is absolutely right and just as a hint, if say, there was a solution to this problem, say, Phi of x and y, then we would be able to get these two here when taking the respective derivatives."

"Shouldn't we include a function of y if I took the first term?"

"Yep."

Everything then suddenly clicked in the child's mind, causing his father to grin.

"Feels nice when you finally understand something, doesn't it?"

The seven-year-old merely nodded as he began writing down the solution.

John checked the time and realised that they had about five minutes left before the tutorial would end. He waited for his son to finish writing the answer before handing him an exercise sheet. "Something for you to do during your free time."

Malcolm perused through the questions before putting it away in his backpack. "Are we going to McDonald's now?"

"That's the plan," John said as he packed his belongings.

"Mummy was really happy last night."

"Oh, what makes you say that?"

The boy shrugged as he followed his father out the door. "She was smiling to herself, giggling and laughing for no reason."

The Doctor fought the urge to laugh himself.

"How do you do that?" the child inquired. "Does it work on other people, too?"

The main reason he even asked such a question is that he wanted to make Emily laugh should he see her again.

"Well, I'm not quite sure what I did," John began. "Just be yourself?"

Looks like Malcolm will have to figure it all out himself.

They eventually spotted Clara waiting in the lounge with K9 obediently sitting next to her on the carpeted floor, giving the perfect picture of a well-trained dog.

The German Shepherd's ears perked up when he heard Malcolm running towards him.

"Another fun tutorial?" she asked her son before her gaze averted to the Doctor.

"John showed me a video about the trajectory of an asteroid and how you could express it as a differential equation," the child explained.

"Did he now?"

"Yes, the asteroid, known as Ceres, was discovered in 1801 on New Year's Day by an Italian astronomer named Giuseppe Piazzi," Malcolm continued.

He recalled every single explanation his father had given him until they reached the carpark, much to his parents' amusement.

"He told me you were in a very good mood last night," John whispered to Clara as she hooked her arm with his.

"Is he your little accomplice now?" the schoolteacher teased as she watched their son run around with his pet.

"Maybe."

She paused. "Oh, look, it's Mr 'I'm not into banter'."

"I'm not," he insisted with a smile.

"I still wouldn't believe you even if you keep saying that for a year!"

That was when he was reminded of the contract and also Missy's advice. He has yet to tell her that he would be moving back to Glasgow as soon as the academic year is over.

"You ok?" she asked, snapping him out of his thoughts. One moment he was smiling and then next thing she noticed was that he looked to be in deep thought.

He managed a smile. "Just a bit distracted in my head," he murmured, wondering why on earth he couldn't tell her the truth. Now is not the right time, anyway.

He still has plenty of time, he kept telling himself. Plenty of time.


	16. Chapter 16

"Ok, you have to choose a character – I recommend Bowser because he's a lot of fun to drive and you need to hold down R when you're turning to drift," Malcolm explained to his father as he handed him one of the joy-cons from his Switch.

John processed his son's words carefully and examined the controller. "Right," he muttered.

They had lunch at McDonald's as planned and when he thought he would only be dropping them off at home, he was proven wrong. Clara, had, as usual, invited him to have a cup of tea first and Malcolm begged him to play Mario Kart since his grandad was at the hospital having his annual check-up.

"How do I move, again?"

"You need to press A," the boy replied as he docked his Switch and then sat next to his father on the sofa.

Clara wasn't able to help herself from beaming. She was so pleased with how well her two boys were getting along and it warmed her heart to see John playing together with their child.

"What are those boxes with the question mark?"

"Those give you perks such as a green shell or banana," Malcolm explained while he drifted. "What you get is totally random."

John felt a pair of eyes boring into him and glanced to his left. His lips quirked up slightly when they made eye contact. That was when he was suddenly hit by a green shell, allowing another driver in the game to cut him.

"So that's what a green shell does, yeah?"

"Yep," his son answered, not quite paying attention as he led the race. K9, who was lying on the floor, watched in silence. He had been given a good lecturing by John to behave himself.

"I came in 12th," the Doctor murmured, not expecting to lose so badly.

"It takes a bit of practice," his son explained. "Want a rematch?"

He shrugged as he had nowhere else to go at the moment. "Sure."

However, as Malcolm chose a different map for their next gameplay, it suddenly occurred to the lecturer that he was indeed supposed to do something very important. Emily. He was supposed to pick up Emily from the train station.

John checked the time and realised that he only had three minutes to spare before his goddaughter arrived. "Malcolm, I think we're going to have to postpone the rematch," he said and hastily got to his feet.

"Why?" the child asked with a disappointed tone.

Clara looked up from the book she was reading, eyebrows raised.

"I need to pick up Emily at the train station," the Doctor explained. "She wants to see the new house."

His son's eyes immediately widened.

"So why are you panicking?" Clara asked.

"Train's arriving soon," he replied, whistling at K9 to follow him.

"Can I come along?" Malcolm inquired, hoping his father would say yes.

John ran a hand through his silver curls before making eye contact with Clara. She nodded in approval. "If your father is fine with it, then I am, too."

"Yes!" their son exclaimed before quickly switching off the game console. He kissed his mother on the cheek and ran out the door as his father rushed to the car. "Bye, mum!"

"Bye, Malc!" she answered in a giggle. That's certainly one way of allowing them to bond and not to mention letting their child see his puppy crush.

Malcolm Oswald opened the passenger door and climbed inside the car before putting on the seatbelt.

"So you're my co-pilot for today," John teased as he waited for the German Shepherd in the back seat to settle down.

"I like being the co-pilot."

Halfway through the journey, he thought it would be a good idea to have a chat with Malcolm. "So, is there a reason why you wanted to come along?"

The boy shrugged casually. "No reason," he said quietly. "I just wanted to follow you."

"Is it because you want to see Emily again?"

The seven-year-old was silent for a few seconds, surprised that he was caught. "No."

His response caused his father to chuckle. "It's alright, I can keep your secret, Malcolm."

"I don't have a crush on Emily," the boy denied poorly as the car pulled into the carpark of the station. "Please don't tell Emily or anyone else."

John killed the engine before smiling kindly. "I promise that this will just be between us, ok?"

His son nodded quietly.

"Now come on, she's probably going to kill me for having to wait for so long."

"When did she arrive?" Malcolm asked as they stepped out.

"Over ten minutes ago," his father said before spotting Emily and he immediately put on a wide grin in hopes of not upsetting his goddaughter. "I know that look," he began. "Your mother has the same look and before you say anything, Malcolm and K9 are here!"

Emily Saxon still had a frown on her face until she saw the seven-year-old, who was giving her heart eyes, and not to mention a very excited puppy. "Hey, guys."

"Hi," Malcolm answered while his pet barked and circled around her.

"You'll be here a half-an-hour early, huh?" the university student tormented her uncle.

John grimaced. "I got caught up playing Mario Kart."

"It's true, Emily," his son added. "He came in 12th place!"

She snorted in amusement as they headed to the car. "It's not surprising at all."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

Emily grinned before she winked at Malcolm. "Nothing, just saying," she murmured. "So, we're heading to your new house first, right?"

"That's the plan," the Doctor answered as he started the engine.

"Do you always come home every weekend?" the child sitting in the front seat questioned as he turned around to face her.

"No, not really," she replied. "I just want to see what your dad's new home looks like."

It would also give Emily some time away from her mother who is constantly badgering her about uni life and also the possibility of her having a boyfriend.

"It's really nice," Malcolm stated. "There's a huge garden so K9 likes to run around when it's not too cold and he has this dog bed in the kitchen, and I can give you a tour!"

"Now I really can't wait to see it, especially when you're going to be my personal tour guide!"

John stifled a chuckle. He was beyond tempted to tell Clara about their son's growing crush, but a promise is a promise.

\-- 

"I didn't realise this house is so big, especially for a single occupant and his pet," Emily commented after the so-called 'tour'. "I mean, Malcolm could even have his own room."

"That's what the agent had in mind, too," her uncle said as he took a sip of his tea.

The telly was currently playing a children's show, and nobody paid attention aside from Malcolm and K9.

She examined the look on her godfather's face carefully. He had his eyes on his son, lips slightly curved to one side. "So are you moving here for good?" she asked quietly.

"What makes you say that?"

She shrugged, warming her hands with the mug. "Well, you've found Clara and discovered you have a child with her all this while."

It was then it struck her. Did he not tell them about his temporary position at the university?

"Wait, does Clara at least know what's going on?"

John looked at the tea slowly swirling around in his cup. "I haven't said anything yet."

"Why not?" Emily asked in a hushed tone, careful not to grab Malcolm's attention. "They deserve to know, don't they?"

"Of course, they do but," he argued. "I've only just started to get to know them and besides, it'll be a year from now until the contract ends."

"You have to tell them."

"Clara and I have only gone on one date, so I think it's a bit strange to just dump it on her, 'Oh, by the way, I'll only be living here for a year before going back to Glasgow'.'"

Emily shut her eyes. "That's not what I meant, and you said yourself the date was, and I quote, 'charming and wonderful'."

"Yes, but as I said before, that was our first date," he sighed. "Maybe she'll eventually get bored of me," he added. "I'm in my fifties and have you seen her?!"

She could see why her mother had a knack for berating and teasing her uncle. He's completely useless in the self-confidence department. "Have you forgotten she gave birth to your child?"

"That was unplanned," he countered. Although, a rather pleasant one. He loves his son very much.

"You shagged each other, so I am sure she's attracted to you."

The Doctor nearly spat out his tea. His goddaughter is too much like her mother in this regard. "Bloody hell, Em."

She smiled deviously. "Just stating the facts."

"There are a million ways for you to sentence that differently."

"And you probably wouldn't have gotten the hint if I did, so being brutally blunt was the only option."

He rolled his eyes. "Must be a Delgado thing."

Emily then set the mug on the coffee table before looking around. "Is it just me or does it feel a bit chilly in here?"

"Yeah, it does," Malcolm agreed. "What do you think K9?"

The German Shepherd perked his ears before running around the room.

"No running inside the house!" John ordered and the dog returned to his spot next to his best friend before barking several times. "I'm fairly sure I switched on the heater."

Indeed, he did, but it clearly wasn't working as he couldn't feel any sort of heat radiating from it. The Doctor feared the worst. What if it's not just the living room?

They checked all the rooms in the house and came to the conclusion that the heating system is broken.

"Brilliant," he sighed in frustration. "I have to phone that annoying agent."

"I'm sure he's not that bad," Emily began.

"Yeah, Jack was funny," Malcolm added.

Jack wasn't a horrible person, per se, but the phone call lasted longer than it should have. He definitely flirted with him, asked him about his 'cute fam fam' and then told him that someone would look into it first thing on Monday.

Just what he needed: Another two nights at Missy's.

\-- 

The plan was so simple. Drop Malcolm off at his home and then head to Missy's.

Simple. Why would anything get in the way of it, right? Wrong.

"Why do you have to stay here and not at Clara's?" she questioned casually as she stood at the entrance of her home.

"Mum, there's no need for you to be mean to Uncle John," her daughter argued as she walked inside.

"Not being mean, sweets," she replied. "Just doing him a favour."

The man standing in front of her just wasn't in the mood to deal with her games. "Look, it's only for two days."

"Which you can spend at Clara's," she added. "Think about all the time you can waste with your kiddie winkie and soon-to-be wifey while you're there."

K9 suddenly barked, sticking out his tongue and wagging his tail.

"See, even your pet is intelligent enough to know where he wants his sleepover."

"This isn't funny."

"I'm not being funny – guest bedroom's being painted so unless you want to sleep on the floor in a room that smells like paint, then be my guest."

John Smith massaged his aching forehead. Screw it. Might as well sleep in a hotel. He'll just drop off K9 at Clara's. "I hate you," he grumbled, returning to the car.

"You'll thank me in the foreseeable future."

He shot her an icy stare one last time before driving off and when he reached the Oswald household, he had expected Malcolm or Clara to answer the door, but no, it had to be Dave.

"Dave," the Doctor greeted awkwardly. "Are Clara and Malcolm home?"

"John," the elderly man acknowledged. "Yes, they're upstairs – come in."

"I won't be long," he began but was ushered inside.

"Please, Malcolm and especially you-know-who will be thrilled to see you," Dave said before he stared at the German Shepherd. "And you, too!"

The pup barked happily.

"Grandad, who's at the door?" Malcolm asked as he raced downstairs. He thought he had heard the familiar sound of his pet. "K9!" he squealed. "Are you staying here instead?" he asked his father.

"Who is?" a familiar voice was heard asking as she descended downstairs. Her face immediately lit up when she made eye contact with John.

"Hi," he murmured before clearing his throat. "I um, I was just wondering if it's ok for K9 to stay here for two nights?" he asked. "The heater in my house broke."

"Please, mummy!" Malcolm begged. "I promise K9 will behave."

She patted her son on the head and nodded. "Fine, for as long as he doesn't howl, eat the furniture or misbehave."

"Yay!" the child cheered as he and his pet raced upstairs.

"What about you?" Clara questioned John.

"I'll stay at a hotel somewhere and thank you for taking the dog in."

"Are you sure about that?" Dave said.

"You can sleep on the couch," Clara suggested. She definitely doesn't mind him staying for a couple of nights.

The Doctor ran a hand through his hair. "I'm not so sure about that – a hotel or B&B would be ok."

"I insist and I'm sure Malcolm would be very happy to have you here."

How could he resist those eyes? He couldn't. He had a choice and he knew that as soon as he saw those eyes, his mind had made up. "If it's no trouble…"

"Not at all!"

Dave chuckled at his daughter's attempt to hide her enthusiasm. "I'll go get the extra duvet and pillows."

"Thank you," John whispered to Clara. "I'm very grateful."

"Happy to help," she said quietly.

While she went back upstairs to help her father, the Doctor returned to his car to grab his backpack. He wondered how Missy saw this coming. Well, she did refuse to let him stay at her place, but as much as he hated to admit it, she was doing a good job of helping him get closer to Clara and Malcolm.

\-- 

"My favourite is Charizard, but you'd have to get a Charmander first and train it so that it will evolve into Charmeleon and then finally Charizard," Malcolm explained as he showed his father the game he was currently playing.

"So what do you do with Charizard, then?"

"I use him to battle or catch other Pokemons."

John watched in silence as his son demonstrated how to look for a battle.

"Malcolm, it's bedtime!" Clara called from upstairs.

"But I'm showing John how to play Pokemon," the boy replied.

His father chuckled. "You should do what your mum says and I'm sure there's plenty of time to show me how to play the game tomorrow."

"Fine," Malcolm sighed in defeat as he switched off the gaming console. K9 immediately got up and stretched himself before placing his head in his lap as a gesture of cheering the child up.

"Goodnight, Malcolm."

"Goodnight," he answered with a sombre tone.

"Your father can help put you to bed if he wants," Clara added.

John wasted no time in ushering his son upstairs. "It's not that bad and sleep is a vital part of leading a healthy life."

"I know, but why can't I stay up a bit longer?"

"It's because you're only seven years old and seven-year-olds have to get enough sleep."

K9 settled down in his makeshift bed right in front of the mattress as his master got under the covers.

John watched in awe as Clara lifted the duvet all the way up to the boy's chin and caressed his hair. "Comfy?"

Motherhood really suits her.

"Yes, mum."

"Good, goodnight, sleep tight and…"

"Dream about bed bugs tonight," Malcolm finished with a giggle, causing his father to raise an eyebrow.

Clara kissed his head. "Go to sleep, yeah?"

"Yes, mum," the child half-grumbled.

John stood behind awkwardly, unsure of what to do or say. "Sleep well," he said before he noticed the subtle nod to their son Clara had made. He bent down ruffled Malcolm's curls.

"My hair!" the seven-year-old giggled.

"You're going to sleep, in case you've forgotten," his father laughed before switching off the lights and following Clara out the door. "Be a good guard dog, yeah, K9?"

The German Shepherd lifted his head and barked before lying back down.

Once the door was shut, John cleared his throat. "Dream about bed bugs?"

"It's a quote from the Lion King, the third film to be exact," Clara explained in amusement. "One of his favourites."

"Ah, makes sense now."

Clara examined his face and wondered if she should tell him about the incident that happened over a year ago. He was their child's father, after all. "You up for a bit of chatting?"

Both eyebrows were raised as his eyes went wide.

"There's something you should know about Malcolm, well, something that happened to him."

She saw worry wash over his face and was quick to reassure him.

"It's nothing too serious, but he used to go do a different school before if that eases your mind a bit."

"Oh," was all he could say, relieved that their son wasn't in trouble or danger.

They went downstairs and headed straight for the kitchen.

"Why don't I make tea, this time?" he offered. "As a way of saying thank you for taking me as a refugee."

His little joke made her laugh and his chest swelled with pride.

"Fair enough," she said before settling down in an empty chair. She waited until their drinks were ready before recalling the event.

It was when Malcolm had just started primary school, two months into. All was well and he had managed to get along with his classmates until one of them discovered that his father was 'absent'. Unsurprisingly, some of the children began teasing and making fun of him.

It didn't go unnoticed to Clara nor Dave that he began refusing to go to school and the breaking point had been when he cried one morning. That was when they discovered the truth.

Clara was swift to act by confronting the headmistress before coming to the decision to send her one and only child to another school.

"I'm telling you this because you're his father and I just thought you should know," she continued after finishing her explanation. "I don't blame anyone, not a single person, but it was unfortunate it happened to him."

There was nothing but silence as John processed everything he had been told carefully. "I'm sorry," he said, voice cracking. "If I hadn't been such an idiot and coward and-"

"No, no one is to blame, especially you."

"He must have felt awful," the Doctor whispered.

"You're here now and that's what matters," Clara added, placing a hand on top of his.

He could only wish he had been from the beginning. He then grasped her hand before lifting it to his lips. He vowed to make things right.

It amazed him that she was able to raise their son.

"Are you sure you're comfortable sleeping on the sofa?" she suddenly spoke.

"What?" he asked, snapping out of his thoughts. "Yes, I don't mind."

"Do you even realise what I'm hinting at here?" she giggled before leaning closer and giving him a good snog.

It finally clicked in his brain once her lips landed on his. "Oh."

"Yes."

"What about-"

She shot him a look and saw desire flash briefly in his eyes, along with something else, something she couldn't quite comprehend. She decided to take the lead by grasping his hand and guiding him upstairs, never breaking eye contact.

Whatever it was John wanted to say to Clara was forgotten. He didn't want to ruin what they were building and restoring now.


	17. Chapter 17

**5 Months Later**

"Hello, you," Clara greeted happily as she leaned against the frame of the door.

"Hello, Clara," John replied with a boyish grin before he bent down to give her a peck on the lips. It went unnoticed to them both that K9 had run past them, looking for his best friend. "Everyone ready?" he asked once they pulled away.

"Malcolm's just finishing his spelling homework and you're far too early for us to leave," she explained before stepping aside to let him in.

It was Saturday and that meant they had a tutorial and the reason he had stopped by in the first place is that they were planning to go out on another outing, along with Dave, who would meet them at the train station.

"Spelling homework before his tutorial?"

"Someone needs to be the sensible one," the schoolteacher pointed out as she wrapped her arms around the Doctor.

"Hmm," was all he could manage, angling his head to kiss her, but was stopped halfway.

"Need to shut the door or else people might complain," she joked.

"Yes, the woman who calls me 'Martian Boy' will without a doubt spy on us," he grumbled.

John had discovered not too long ago about the Oswalds' sassy neighbour, Donna Noble. She had spotted him visiting the family far too often and learned from Clara who he truly was.

"Donna just has a habit of… you know, being blunt, but she adores Malcolm," the schoolteacher defended.

"I know," he replied. "I've seen how she talks to him."

She got on her toes and gave him a quick kiss. "She's not all that bad once you get to know her, so," she began, changing the subject. "Would you like a drink?"

"A cup of coffee would be nice," he murmured as he followed her to the kitchen.

To say that a lot has changed would be an understatement. The past six months had been the best of his entire life and was looking forward to spending more time with Clara and Malcolm. Christmas had been wonderful. He had spent the morning at their place before bringing everyone over to Missy's, who, as unbelievable as it sounded, had prepared a Christmas dinner with Emily's help.

He then began spending more and more time at the Oswald household, sometimes staying there during the weekend whenever Dave had to go back to Blackpool to check on the house he owns there. K9 is always looking forward to the weekend getaway.

Everything was going smoothly, but Malcolm still calls him by his name, which he didn't mind, but it would be nice to have the child see him as his father.

Clara, on the other hand, well, all that runs through his mind is that he wants to make a proper woman out of her, as old fashioned as it sounded.

"If you keep making those heart eyes, we might not go out after all," she teased, trying to get his attention.

"Sorry, what?" he asked, finally making eye contact.

"Nothing," she said quietly as Malcolm and K9 sprinted into the kitchen. The seven-year-old held several pieces of paper in his hand.

"I finished my homework!" he exclaimed. "Can we go now, please?"

"Your dad's just about to have a drink," his mother stated as she sat next to John.

"What's the rush, Malc?" the man asked before taking a sip of his warm coffee.

"Oh, I think it's got something to do with today's plan," Dave said as he entered the kitchen, beaming. He gave a nod of acknowledgement to John before patting his grandson on the back.

The boy shrugged. "Just excited to go to London," he answered.

His father chuckled. "After the tutorial, that is."

"Yes, dad, I know," Malcolm replied automatically before he realised what he had just said, causing the entire room to fall silent. He wasn't sure why, but it actually felt nice to refer to his father as 'dad'.

The Doctor couldn't quite believe his ears and smiled as he felt pride swell in his chest. His son had just called him 'dad'.

Clara cleared her throat. "Just put your homework away and get your coat ready, yeah?"

"Ok," her child chided before racing upstairs with his pet.

"Big step there," Dave commented gleefully once his grandchild was upstairs.

"He called you 'dad'," Clara pointed out, leaning against John.

He, meanwhile, still wasn't able to wipe the smile off his face. "This is something I'll remember for the rest of my life."

Looks like someone's finally getting that new video game he's been talking about for the past month.

He could just imagine the upcoming trip. All five of them having a good time in London, eating good food and taking Malcolm to wherever he wants to go.

The Doctor had finally made the decision to tell Clara the truth. He felt confident enough, despite not knowing whether he'll stay or leave, but as Emily and Missy pointed out, they deserve to know. He could only hope they wouldn't be too mad that he took his time.

He'll tell her once they return from the trip.

"Can we leave now?" Malcolm's rang from the hallway as he excitedly put his coat on before ruffling K9's fur.

"Alright, we're coming," his father answered as he rose from the chair and hooked arms with Clara.

"See you at the station," Dave murmured.

"Bye, dad," his daughter murmured.

He watched as the couple strode out of the kitchen. He'd give it another six months before John proposes and definitely win the bet against Donna. She had wagered another year.

\-- 

"Come on, K9!" Malcolm exclaimed as he raced into the house with his pet shortly after his grandfather had unlocked the door.

"Hey, be careful there," Dave warned. "Wouldn't want anyone to trip and take off your coat please, Malc."

The seven-year-old shed the item of clothing in the living room before tossing it aside.

"And place it in the right spot," his mother added.

"Ok but let me just open the game first."

"Do as your mother says, Malc," his father said, chuckling at how excited his son is over the brand new game he just bought him.

"Alright," Malcolm answered as he took his coat and hung it on the hook with his father's help.

"Good lad," John murmured as he set his son down and stroked his brown curls.

"I'll be back in a moment," Clara announced as she brought two shopping bags upstairs.

It was then Dave decided to take the opportunity to speak privately with the Doctor. "Do you have a minute to chat a bit?"

"Um, sure," he said and followed the elderly man to the kitchen.

"I'll make it short and sweet, John," he began. "I've seen how you and Clara are around each other – I know for a fact that my daughter loves you as much as she loves her son and… well, judging by how you are with them, what I'm trying to say here is that you have my blessing," he stated sincerely, placing a hand on his shoulder.

John hadn't expected Dave to say those words and he was thrilled to hear them. "Thank you, it means a lot to me."

"I'm happy whenever Clara and Malcolm are happy."

The Doctor grinned before he joined his girlfriend and son in the living room. The child had a sombre look on his face as he stared at the TV, controller in hand. "What happened?"

"I have to update the game first," Malcolm said dejectedly as he leaned against his beloved pet on the carpet.

"I'm sure you won't have to wait long," his father replied, settling next to Clara.

"Twelve minutes," the seven-year-old muttered before he felt a hand messing his hair.

"Not that long," his father laughed before shifting his attention to the woman sitting next to him.

Clara had a smile playing on her lips. "What were you and dad talking about earlier?" she asked innocently.

He cleared his throat. "Nothing, just, you know, about… the bike he's been fixing in the garage," he lied.

She arched a brow, not quite believing him. "He asked you about fixing bikes?"

John was silent for a second. "Yes."

It was then he remembered the little mental reminder he made a few days ago. Would now be a perfect time? He was afraid of spoiling the moment. Tomorrow. They can talk tomorrow during their date.

"I find that very hard to believe," she laughed before resting her head back on his shoulder. Whatever it was, she was sure it was good news since her father looks as if he as a spring in his step.

\-- 

"I need some advice," John blurted as soon as the front door swung open.

Missy's aloof face greeted him. "What, did you forget to use the condom?"

He cursed under his breath as she stepped aside to let him in. "It's just that, well, I… haven't quite told her."

His best friend frowned in annoyance as she immediately knew what he was talking about. Six months into the relationship and he's finally considering coming clean. Bloody idiot. "Let's see now, you can start by actually telling her."

"I'm planning to do that tomorrow," he confessed, settling down one of the armchairs. "It was supposed to be today, but, well, her father pulled me aside and said he gave me his blessing."

"He's probably getting tired of you just showing up every now and then and probably wants you to just live there already."

"So, I should definitely tell her, then?" he asked. "What if she gets upset or cross?"

Missy shrugged. "Beats me, it's your fault and you deserve a bit of heat for taking so long," she explained. "The bigger question is, how is Malcolm going to react?"

It was then a thought occurred to him. "He called me dad!"

The woman's eyes widened in surprise. "Congratulations," she murmured. "You're about to ruin the special moment by breaking his heart."

"I have no intention of doing that!" he growled.

She crossed her arms. "Then make a choice," she said. "Do you want to stay here or move back?"

He sighed in frustration before hiding his face in his hands. "I don't know… I just can't seem to decide."

A part of him wouldn't mind staying, but the other part thought otherwise. He could ask Clara and Malcolm if they wanted to come to Glasgow with him, but he was sure they would decline. Clara is enjoying her teaching job and Malcolm loves school. The bairn had mentioned his two closest friends to him recently.

But what about him? Sure, he'll be happy to have Clara and Malcolm close to him, but will he be happy here? He had enjoyed his stay in Surrey for the past six months, but that was mostly due to them. Will he still feel the same way long-term?

"I can easily get you a permanent position at the university," Missy added. "All it takes is a letter and a threatening look that I like to give to the vice-chancellor."

John raised his head. "That's not the problem."

Missy rolled her eyes. She can't believe she has to be the wise one. "Happiness lies in your loved ones."

Dear, God. That sounded cheesy. She might as well write a romantic novel.

"You can always keep the house in Glasgow and pay a visit whenever you feel like it."

He still couldn't quite make up his mind.

"This is clearly something you can't decide on a whim, so take one step at a time," Missy advised. "Just tell Clara the truth first and I warn you now that she might not be all too pleased."

"Yes, I suppose you're right."

"This is the last time I am being nice and wise at the same time."

The Doctor raised an eyebrow. "Didn't you say the same thing when I told you I proposed to R-"

"Her name shall not be mentioned in this house."

John nodded curtly before getting to his feet. "Thank you, Missy."

She raised a hand. "I'm fabulous, I know."

\-- 

They had gone on so many dates that he had lost count. He guessed that this was their 30th date.

The Doctor had played it safe and taken Clara to Capaldi's again. The food is delicious, and the atmosphere is relaxing, so it can't go wrong.

"You look as if something's on your mind," Clara commented. "I've noticed it since yesterday."

He slowly set down the knife and fork he held and wiped his mouth with the napkin. "There is actually something on my mind," he began, feeling a bit nervous.

"What's that?"

John became silent for a moment choosing the right words. He felt her place a hand on top of his.

"Whatever it is, you can tell me."

"It's, well, something I should have told when we started dating, I suppose."

Clara shot him a confused look.

"My teaching position at the university is only temporary," he confessed, finally feeling a burden being lifted from his shoulders. He took a second to gather his thoughts. "Once the academic year is over, I… well, I haven't completely decided yet, but if I stick to the original plan, will go back to Glasgow."


	18. Chapter 18

Clara Oswald couldn't quite believe what she had just heard from her boyfriend. Did he just suggest that he will be moving back to Glasgow in six months?

"Glasgow," she murmured, eyes void of any emotion as her mind processed the words the came out of his mouth.

"It's not decided yet," he repeated hastily. "I mean, if you think about it, it's a big step-"

"Why are you telling me this now?" she asked, feeling a bit hurt. He could have told her before and she would have been fine with it – not what, five-six months before his contract or whatever ends.

He grimaced. "I had planned to tell you earlier, but… um… well…"

"You were too chicken to tell me?" she accused, crossing her arms.

"It's not that," John defended immediately. "I was an idiot for not telling you sooner."

At least he had actually informed her rather than letting her know a week before or something much worse. Regardless, Clara had a right to be slightly upset and angry. He could have told her before, and she would have tried to help him come to a decision.

Of course, that would put everything into question, including their relationship and most importantly, his relationship with his son. Malcolm had called him dad just a day before and he's telling her the news now.

John wanted to do nothing more than to bang his head on the table. He had just ruined their date.

"I'll be waiting in the car," Clara announced as she stood up.

"Clara, wait," he said, mimicking her action before catching a waiter's attention and asking him for the bill.

Once he had paid for their meal, he headed straight for the carpark and spotted his girlfriend standing next to the car and unlocked it.

She got in without speaking a word to him.

To say that the journey home was tense would be an understatement.

"Are you planning to tell Malcolm or are you going to wait for another six months?" she asked bitterly.

"I am going to tell him," he said quietly as he kept eyes on the road. He didn't have the courage to look at the woman sitting next to him, even briefly. "I'm sorry for taking so long."

Clara did not utter a single word. She stared out the window, watching other cars pass by. Was she being a bit too hard on him? Maybe, but he deserves a bit of torture. Had he told her sooner, she wouldn't be giving him the cold shoulder right now.

She was the first to leave the car the moment they had arrived home and said nothing as she stepped inside, granting her son a smile.

"Is dad leaving already?" Malcolm questioned disappointedly as K9 stood next to him.

"I forgot… that I have to invigilate a test tomorrow, so no staying up late tonight," John lied, forcing his lips to twist upward. He would have loved to let his son play with K9 longer, but Clara was cross, and he didn't want to make things worse.

"Ok," the boy murmured before hugging his pet. "You'll come tomorrow, right?" he inquired, looking at his father. "You said you'd teach me how to play the guitar."

The boy had discovered that his father owned an electric guitar one day while playing hide and seek with K9 at his home and since then, he had been begging for lessons.

The Doctor didn't have the heart to say no to his child, so he nodded in silence, hoping that Clara would have at least mellowed down a bit by then.

The first thing that he did the very next morning when he was woken up by a large German Shepherd sitting on top of him is sending a text to Clara. He began by apologising once more before gently reminding her he was coming over to spend time with their son later in the day.

The only reply that he got back was a simple 'Ok.'.

Oh. That can't be good. She's still cross at him and there was no indication whether she was less mad. If anything, she still feels the same as she did the previous night.

"Do you think she'll eventually forgive me?" John mumbled to his pet who was lying down on the mattress.

K9 lifted his head and perked his ears before barking several times.

"Not today, obviously," he sighed before throwing away the covers and climbing out of bed.

\-- 

Clara Oswald had every right to be a tiny bit angry at her boyfriend. He hid the information from her for six months when he could have just told her. It felt as if he wasn't serious about their relationship and the thought stung her a bit. She loves him and could picture herself spending the rest of their lives together, at least before this revelation, that is.

Most importantly, if Joh moves back to Glasgow, what's going to happen to Malcolm? He doesn't seem like the type to abandon his child, but him stating that he hadn't made up his mind yet indicated that he was torn between them (or at least Malcolm) and his hometown.

"Miss Oswald's daydreaming again!" howled one of her students. The rest of the classroom began erupting with laughter and she immediately put on a stern face before clearing her throat.

"One more word from you Courtney and it's off to the headmaster's office," the teacher warned. "Return to your test, please," she ordered the class.

Well, that should teach her to let her guard down during work.

When she finally came home after a long day at school, she did so a bit earlier than usual by giving the excuse that she felt ill, so as to avoid John when he shows up.

Nobody aside from her was at home at the moment as her father was off to the train station to pick up Malcolm, so that gave her time to reflect.

She had no intention of keeping the grudge for long. That would be stupid, but John deserves it, even if deep down, she felt sorry for him.

As much as she wants him to stay here, it wasn't her place to decide for him. Moving to Glasgow with him was not an option. Malcolm is enjoying school and changing the environment could affect him negatively, which was something was worried about.

What happens if he decides to leave?

They clearly needed to talk and discuss a solution.

Her train of thought was interrupted when she heard noises coming from downstairs. She didn't think it was her father as he had only just left when she got back.

To be sure she wasn't imagining anything, she slowly tiptoed downstairs while holding a bottle of pepper spray in one hand.

She heard a commotion coming from the kitchen and dashed inside, thrusting the weapon forward and surprising her two guests.

"What are you doing?" the Doctor asked in confusion as he adjusted the guitar strap hanging off his shoulder. K9 tilted his head in curiosity.

"Oh," she sighed in relief, lowering the pepper spray. It occurred to her that he was given a key to the house not too long ago. "I thought somebody had broke in – I didn't even hear K9."

"I've been training him to be less rowdy," he explained before stepping aside to reveal a plastic bag. "I got Malcolm some Flakes and biscuits for Dave."

It was then her eyes landed on the vase of flowers sitting on the dining table. There was a note attached to it.

"Those are for you," John said quietly.

She examined the flowers, using all her strength to prevent herself from smiling. It was very sweet of him, but she wasn't about to easily forgive him until he's had a talk with their child.

"Thank you," Clara murmured.

John couldn't tell whether she was pleased or not. "Do you like them?"

"They're nice," was all she said before carrying the vase as she took it upstairs to the bedroom. She knew that he came early on purpose so as to have a private talk with her.

The Doctor lowered his head in disappointment. "I don't think the flowers worked," he commented to the German Shepherd.

All he could do now was wait for his son to arrive and they could get on with his guitar lesson. Now that was something he is looking forward to. The talk after that? Not so much.

Half an hour later, the dog ran past him as the front door clicked open.

"Hi, boy!" Malcolm was heard greeting his pet. "How are you – what did you do today?" he asked excitedly. "Hi, dad!"

"Hello, Malcolm," his father replied, trying hard to sound just as excited as he is. "I got some chocolates for you and biscuits for your grandad."

"How very kind of you, thank you," Dave said as he shut the door. He gave John a reassuring pat on the shoulder.

Well, he clearly knows what's going on.

"Can I see your guitar?" Malcolm questioned as he dropped his backpack next to the sofa.

"Of course," his father murmured as he reached for the musical instrument that was leaning against the wall. "How was school, by the way?"

The child rolled a tennis ball on the floor before plopping down on the sofa as he watched his pet chase after it. "It was a lot of fun – Bill and I partnered up and we made a lemon volcano!"

"Oh, that sounds like a lot of fun," John commented as he sat down next to his son, handing him the guitar. The boy looked a bit comical holding it. "Just hold it steady, yep, like that," he said, adjusting the musical instrument. "You look like a proper rock star!"

Malcolm laughed sheepishly. "This thing is heavy."

Unfortunately, this was the only guitar he owns at the moment. He should buy the child one soon.

"Just let it rest on your knee," he advised. "Comfortable?"

The seven-year-old nodded silently.

The Doctor then started their guitar lesson, by using an electric guitar no less! It was a bit unconventional, but nothing that would hinder the lesson. Their first session lasted for over an hour. John taught his son everything from tuning to the basic chords and he had never seen Malcolm so excited.

"I'm going to show to mum what I learned!" he announced.

"Before you do that, do you mind if we talk for a bit?"

The child's facial expression morphed into that of curiosity. "About what?" he inquired, sitting down once again.

The Doctor gently set the guitar aside and took a deep breath. "It's got to do with my job."

"What do you mean?"

"I've told your mother last night, so it's only fair I tell you, too."

Malcolm furrowed his brows. He didn't like the tone of his father's voice.

John combed his hair back with one hand, trying to gather his words and calm himself. It was a lot more difficult than he had imagined.

"I… might, and it's not been decided yet, leave for Glasgow after the academic year is over."

"Why?"

He covered his mouth with a hand. "I was only supposed to be here for a year."

Malcolm was silent for what felt like the longest moment in John's life. "Does… does that mean you're not going to be living here anymore?" he asked, voice cracking. "Why can't you stay?"

"It's not so... simple...," he murmured.

The seven-year-old now had hot tears running down his cheek and when his father tried to console him, he merely ran way, running upstairs, followed by K9.

"Malcolm, wait!" the Doctor said as he tried chasing after him. "I haven't-"

"I don't want to talk to you!" he cried before slamming the door shut.

This was a lot worse than he had imagined. A lot worse compared to how Clara had reacted. His son probably hates him now. "Malcolm," he said gently, knocking on the door. All he heard was sobbing and the sound of a German Shepherd whimpering.

"Let him cool off for a bit," a voice behind him said. "It's a lot to take in for a seven-year-old."

Clara had heard the commotion and thought it would be wise to finally step in.

"I'm an idiot," John declared, massaging his aching forehead. He was surprised when she laughed.

"You've just realised that?"

At least she's finally talking to him again.

She nodded to the staircase and he followed her lead. "Malcolm has always been a bit sensitive to certain big changes," she began once they were in the hallway.

"What do you mean?"

"There was a time when I contemplated moving back to Blackpool because of the incident and when I suggested the idea to Malcolm, he didn't take it very well," she explained. "He nearly had a meltdown just at the mere thought of moving away from this home."

It would seem that asking them to come with him was out of the question.

"What do I do now?" he said in a whisper.

Clara reached for his hand and grasped it. "The decision is up to you - I hope you'll make the right one."

John caressed her hand with his thumb. Could he leave Glasgow behind? Sure, he could visit anytime, but it meant that the little things that he enjoyed such as the chip shop, that quiet and charming book shop close to his university, and the small park he enjoyed walking past so much during his daily commute to work would be gone. The little things that made his day pleasant. Not to mention the fact that he would no longer permanently reside in his childhood home.

The Doctor had to make up his mind. "Let me think about this tonight," he murmured before bringing the back of her hand to his lips.

"Take your time."


	19. Chapter 19

John Smith could not sleep that rainy night. He was currently in bed, staring up at the while ceiling as the sound of rain pelted against the window. He felt bad. He felt bad for upsetting his only child.

Every time he closed his eyes, he saw Malcolm giving him the same sad eyes that he saw hours ago. He shut his eyes and there was the same imagine haunting him.

He extended an arm and reached for the phone on the bedside table. 10:35 PM.

The Doctor sighed and closed his eyes one more time, hoping that slumber would finally greet him, but no. The more he tried to go to sleep, the more he felt awake. He should have been able to rest. K9 wasn't around to bother him like he does every night.

There was nothing but darkness when opened his eyes again as they adjusted to the surroundings.

John groaned and covered his face with a hand.

How difficult can it be to make up his mind? He was never the indecisive type and now here he is torn between his hometown and his family. He can't have everything, and it would be stupid to choose a city over Clara and Malcolm.

Suppose he did return to Glasgow. What would that be like?

He would have to leave K9 with his son, which is fine.

He could still Skype with Malcolm everyday… that doesn't sound too bad... well, it does.

Clara? He wouldn't mind travelling every weekend to see her. To see them both.

It could work.

He'd be lonely again, though.

No laughter. No dog running around the house everywhere. No Clara barking orders at everyone.

Silence. Nothing. Just him and his quiet home and boring routines.

John Smith's eyes shot open and he sat up. He couldn't leave them. No. Staying was the only option. To hell with his childhood home. He could visit whenever he likes. To hell with Glasgow. 

He reached for his smartphone and dialled a number.

"I accept the offer!" he half-screamed.

"What the actual fuck?" Missy snapped groggily.

"I'm staying," he added. "I want a permanent position at the university."

"You do realise it's two in the bloody morning, right?" she growled. "Have you lost the plot?!"

The Doctor checked the time just to be sure. "Oh, sorry."

"You're not that sorry you stupid idiot and don't call me at this time of the hour again unless there's an actual emergency," she grumbled before hanging up.

A continuous beeping sound was heard.

He still held the phone to his hear even after the call had ended. 2 AM? It was 2 AM?

John rested his head on the soft pillow once more, silently praying that he would fall asleep. He was going to look like hell tomorrow.

A smile crept on his face. He's finally made that ridiculous decision and he felt content. His mind feels at ease at the thought of being present in their lives.

He couldn't wait to tell Clara and Malcolm the good news tomorrow.

The bairn will the first to know when he sees him on the train.

To his surprise on the very next morning, Malcolm wasn't on the train. He had gone from one end to the other, trying to spot his son, but he wasn't there.

John checked his phone for any sort of messages. None.

It looks like he would have to give Clara a ring and luckily for him, the coach wasn't all that crowded, so he took a seat and dialled her number.

"John, sorry, I meant to call you earlier," she said on the other end.

Apparently, Malcolm wasn't feeling too well, and Clara thought it would be best for him to rest at home under the care of his grandfather.

"Is it because of what happened yesterday?" he asked quietly.

There was a pause and he knew the answer.

"I'll come by and check up on him after work," he stated. "There's also something I need to tell you, well, both of you, really."

"Have you made up your mind?" Clara questioned in surprise. "I didn't expect it to be so soon."

"We'll have a proper talk later today," he said smiling and getting to his feet as the train came to a stop.

"You're just doing this on purpose, aren't you?" she asked, chuckling in hopes of easing her anxiety.

"I don't think it's proper to talk on the phone over such a serious thing."

John could feel her beaming. "If you insist… have a good day at work."

Oh, he's certain he will with Missy ready to kill him for waking her up in the middle of the night. "I will, bye," he answered before his mind realised something. "Clara?"

It was just his luck that she hadn't hung up yet. "Yes."

"I love you."

He wasn't sure what possessed him to say those words. If anything, he should have said it face to face. Missy is definitely right about him being an idiot. Regardless, it felt nice.

"I love you, too, daft old man."

It wasn't a surprise that he came to work with a grin on his face, which was something rather unusual from him.

"Oi, dream boy," his best friend called, a scowl on her face. "My office."

Even Missy wasn't able to wipe the smile off his face as he sat down in front of his grumpy colleague and friend.

"Are you serious about this or did you just drunk call me last night?"

"I'm very serious about taking a permanent position here."

The woman settled down in her seat. "What brought this change?" she inquired. "I mean, you were literally all dramatic about being torn apart and whatnot."

If he had told her it was none of her business, she would surely be even more cross. "Clara and Malcolm."

"Glad you made the sensible decision, or I would have rolled up this dissertation here and slapped you with it," she said, patting the document on the desk.

"Who's the dramatic one now?"

"The one who called his bestie at two in the morning telling her he wants the job."

John laughed. She got him there.

"So, when's the wedding?"

His facial expression morphed into that of seriousness. "Let's not get ahead of ourselves here."

"You and Clara are already acting like a married couple, so you might as well make it official."

"We prefer to take our time."

Missy rolled her eyes. "Sure, whatever you say – now get lost."

He stood up. "Thank you, Missy," he said sincerely. "I appreciate what you've done."

"Yeah, it's mainly because you're hopeless and useless."

As he walked out of the office, she called him, and he turned around.

"If you call me in the middle of the night again, I'll come over to your house and strangle you to near death with my bare hands."

He merely snorted. That was just her way of saying she loves him.

\-- 

"How is he?" was the first thing the Doctor asked when he was greeted by Clara at the door. He adjusted the guitar strap before stepping inside.

"Seems to be better compared to this morning," she began and shut the door with a reassuring click. "K9 and grandad haven't been successful in getting him out of his room, though."

John raised both eyebrows. "What's he been doing?"

"Moping, to put it simply."

She thought it was best to spare the details that their son had been crying at the thought of his father leaving, although a voice at the back of her head said otherwise. Had he decided already?

"About earlier this morning," he began, catching her attention. "I've thought about things…"

"You're not deciding this hastily, right?" the schoolteacher needed to know that it wasn't out of their son's reaction. "You can take more time if you need it."

He reached for her hand and gently held it as if she was made of glass. "I meant it when I said those words to you," the Doctor whispered. "I thought about my future long and hard last night up to the point where I couldn't sleep."

She took a good look at his blue eyes. They were red and had eyebags under them. It explained why he looked exhausted. "You really are daft."

"Your daft old man and also Malcolm's."

She laughed and her eyes became watery. She knew that he had chosen them since this morning, but it was nice to hear those words from him.

"Please tell me those are tears of joy or relief because I'm terrible at reading facial expressions," John said in a panic as he produced a packet of tissues.

"They are," Clara said before she wrapped her arms around him and hugged him tightly.

He nuzzled into her neck. God. How can he be away from her? From their child? It was totally insane.

"Are you absolutely sure about this?"

"One-hundred and twelve percent," the Doctor murmured, smiling.

"What's the guitar for?" she asked, rubbing his back soothingly.

"I'm hoping it would cheer up Malcolm and coax him to forgive me," he explained when they pulled away.

She arched an eyebrow. "How exactly are you going to do that?"

John then stared at his own two feet, suddenly feeling shy at the thought of telling Clara his plan, or rather what he had been working on for the past few months. "I may have written a… song… sort of ish."

Missy is right. It does sound cheesy and makes him look like a hopeless romantic.

Her eyes widened in surprise. This man never ceased to impress her.

"About you," he added. "I'm even working one for Malcolm, but it's still under work."

"Maybe it will finally get him out of his room," she suggested. "I'm curious to listen to you play."

Suddenly, he began thinking that was it a bad idea. "Maybe I should just play his favourite song or something."

Clara laughed in response. "There's no need for you to be shy – it's just us here and obviously my dad."

He was going to risk looking like an idiot and he's already one anyway. To hell with it.

\-- 

"Malcolm, I think it would be a good idea to leave your room once in a while," Dave reminded his grandson for the second time that day.

"I know he's downstairs," the child said, using his father's presence as an excuse.

"How'd you know that?"

"Heard you and mum talking about him just now."

The elderly man sighed and sat next to his grandchild on the mattress. "I know you're angry at your father, but it doesn't give you the right to ignore him."

"He's a liar," Malcolm growled, voice cracking. K9 whimpered and tried to calm his best friend by snuggling up to him. "He said he doesn't want to leave me."

"As in he wants to be present in your life."

"What about mum?" the boy added, hugging his pet. "I thought he loves her."

Dave rubbed the seven-year-old's back. "He does… I know he does and he loves you just as much."

"Then why is he leaving?"

"We don't know that yet – he told you that he hasn't decided, right?" the grandfather explained. "Come on, now, cheer up and if he sees you, he might actually want to stay."

Malcolm merely frowned, sticking to his guts of avoiding his father. It's didn't last long, however, as a melody was heard coming from downstairs.

They listened intently to the song for a minute until the child spoke again. "What is that?"

"An invitation for you to find out," Dave answered. "Never heard of such music before, though."

K9 began barking frantically, running to the door.

"Go on, see what that was all about," he beckoned.

Malcolm heard the melody again and curiosity got the better of him. He slowly creaked the door open and slipped out with the German Shepherd.

The two friends paused at the staircase when they heard voices.

"What's the name of the song?" Malcolm heard his mother ask. "It's beautiful."

John licked his lips. "I think it's called… Clara," he said before catching sight of his son and pet spying on them. "Hello."

Clara turned around before granting her son a warm smile before nodding to the empty seat on the sofa next to her. "Your father has something to tell you."

The boy slowly descended downstairs, eyeing his father cautiously while his dog sat by the schoolteacher's feet. "The song that you played was nice," the seven-year-old commented, settling next to his mother.

To receive such a compliment from his son made him grin. "Thank you," he murmured before setting the musical instrument aside. "There's also something I need to tell you."

"You're not leaving, right?" Malcolm pleaded.

Clara kissed her child's hair. "Relax, Malc."

"No, no, I'm not leaving," John said, kneeling in front of his boy. "I'm staying here with you and your mum and K9 and grandad."

"As in you won't move next year or the year after or the year after that-"

"Exactly."

The boy finally beamed before he wrapped his arms around his father's neck, surprising him. "I love you, dad."

The Doctor sighed, feeling as if everything would be alright. Those words. He couldn't describe what those words made him feel. "I love you, even more, Malcolm," he whispered, kissing the child's cheek.

Their moment was interrupted when they heard a clicking noise.

"That's a keeper," Clara announced, putting her phone away.

Malcolm and John exchanged looks as they thought of the same idea. They hugged her at the same time, all three filling the room with laughter and causing K9 to circle around them in excitement.

Another click was heard.

"It looks like I do know how to use this thing," Dave announced before shaking hands with the Doctor. "So glad you're not leaving, John."

John Smith could only grin as he wrapped an arm around Clara. He wouldn't be anywhere else in the universe right now.

"Does that mean you and mum are going to get married?" Malcolm asked. "Aunt Missy said you're going to marry mum in less than a year!"

The room fell silent.

Clara and John stared at each other before she got on her toes and pecked him on the lips. "Well, she hasn't been wrong in anything so far."


	20. Chapter 20

**Four Months Later**

Clara sighed in content as she snuggled closer to the man next to her, wrapping her arms around him before shutting her arms for a brief second. She felt his hand caress her shoulder ever so gently. They were in the living room of his home in Glasgow, watching some movie from the early eighties that she didn't quite care about.

"I can see why you were reluctant to leave this place," she murmured, resting her chin on top his shoulder.

John popped another popcorn into his mouth. "What's that?"

"Feels very homey," she said.

It was summertime and he had suggested just last month that they spend some time in Glasgow so that he could show them around. It had been a while since Clara and Malcolm had taken a vacation, so she thought, why not? Home away from home.

He merely chuckled before pushing the bowl of popcorn to her lap. "Have some more, I can't finish all of it."

She grabbed a handful, not realising that something was shining in the bowl. "It's awfully quiet," she commented, tearing her eyes away from the television. Just half an hour ago, she heard Malcolm and K9 sprinting everywhere on the floor above and now they were as quiet as mice.

The Doctor shrugged. "They're probably exhausted."

He had an idea of what his son and pet were doing.

"I think it's nice to get some peace and quiet," he laughed, amused.

She ate a few more popcorns. "I'm not complaining, just slightly suspicious."

He kissed her hair, cheek and then finally on the lips. "I very much doubt Malcolm or K9 broke something."

How did they end here in the first place? Well, he just felt that it was the right time to ask. Besides, they did meet for the first time in Glasgow, after all.

"No, he would have confessed by now," she chuckled. She was overthinking. Their child is well-behaved and was probably playing hide and seek with his pet or something.

Twenty minutes later, John began wondering if Clara will ever notice the tiny piece of jewellery he had placed inside the bowl. She either had her eyes glued to the screen or on him. No in-betweens. He just needed her to take a quick glance.

Upstairs, Malcolm and K9 had been waiting in silence for the Doctor to finally propose. They had been waiting at the top of the staircase for almost an hour now and the silence was getting unbearable. The child held his father's smartphone, ready to record the happy moment.

"I think we should slowly sneak downstairs," the boy suggested, and his loyal dog followed his every move, descending as quietly as possible.

Unlike his home, this one could only give a partial view of the living room, but it was good enough anyway since the parents had their backs facing him.

"That actor there looks like a younger version of you," Clara commented lightly, the popcorn bowl sitting next to her was untouched.

"No, he doesn't."

"Maybe just a bit."

"I'll give you a confirmation in ten year's time when Malcolm is eighteen."

Clara responded by giggling.

John stretched his arm and reached for the popcorn, hoping that it would prompt Clara to eat some and finally, finally notice the ring.

Malcolm saw what the Doctor was doing and took the chance to start recording.

His father handed the bowl back to his mother and she finally looked down when something flashed in her eyes.

The schoolteacher stretched in for the piece of jewellery and gasped when she realised what it was. "John!"

He glanced in her direction and grinned. She finally noticed.

"Are you seriously asking me to marry you from a bowl of popcorn?" she asked in astonishment, examining the ring. Never would she have thought he would propose this way.

"Yes, I am," he said proudly, causing her to laugh. "Will you marry me?" he asked. "I've been wanting to ask for some time now and thought this would be the time."

She slid the ring into her finger and paused to admire it for a second before locking eyes with him. "Honestly, if you had just shown up one day and asked the question without a ring, I would still say yes, so yes," she replied, kissing him as her eyes welled up.

"Yay!" Malcolm cheered in excitement as he ran into the living room with K9 in tow.

The couple pulled away.

Clara chuckled. "The two of you were in on it, I see."

John scooted over to leave some space for their son to sit between them. "He came up with the 'ring in the bowl' idea."

"From Spiderman 2, except that the ring was in a glass of water."

"This is even better," she commented, kissing the child's hair while he stared at the band as it sparkled. She couldn't wait to tell everyone the good news. "My little genius."

John Smith beamed. To think that he was about to leave them and return to his hometown all alone four months ago. He would be the biggest idiot in the universe to do that. He has a duty of care, after all.

"Can I ask something?" Malcolm spoke.

"Anything," his father answered, ruffling his curly hair.

Clara had a feeling that the question her son was about to ask had something to do with Missy.

"When am I getting a sibling?"

The Doctor merely stared at his son in surprise before glancing at his soon-to-be wife. "Missy," they said in unison before bursting into laughter. K9 tilted his head in curiosity before barking several times.

The parents kissed their son's cheeks.

They may be laughing now, but in less than a year, Missy's prediction actually came true.

**The End**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for taking the time to read this story! :)
> 
> I hope you've enjoyed it as much as I have. Now that this fic is complete, I can start working on my next story titled "Impossible Love" which is expected to be released in late November, so stay tuned for that if you love Whouffaldi! The preview will be released soon on my Tumblr.
> 
> Thank you for your support! :D


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